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Before going to college, read the book Strapped for insight into the staggering costs of college and its impact on you long term. In my opinion, paying the tuition rates for private colleges are simply not worth the expense. I went to UGA and got my BFA in fabric design through the arts school. I worked retail all through college and my parents helped pay tuition for 4 of the 6 years I was an undergrad. I then got a scholarship for more schooling at Southern Polytechnic for CAD and pattern instruction. My CAD exposure got me my first industry job as an assistant patternmaker. I never had to pay back student loans and I don't know how I would have done it if I had to.
If you insist on going to a fashion college, go to any one who has a strong patternmaking program. Also, go to a school that has a fully operating CAD system (digitizer, software and plotter). Wrap your head around patterns and CAD for those are the skills we need in the sewn products industry. FIT, in NYC, is rumored to be phasing out its patternmaking program which is a DEVASTATING DECISION for such an esteemed school.
I recommend you go to a state school, go through its arts program and sew your own clothes and sell them to your friends. Read pattern and sewing books to educate yourself. Work retail and/or try to work at a showroom for apparel experience. Interning and/or co-ops are great experience as long as you get paid - don't do anything for free!
I hope I helped you in narrowing down your decisions. Whatever you do, go to college and get your degree. Its a terrific rite of passage and no one can ever take away your valuable education and the experience of getting one.
1. I recommend the colleges I attended and graduated from: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts and Parsons School of Design. Both are great- they both demand sewing and drawing experience so take some classes before you get there. You will take sewing and drawing classes but any school rewards those who already know. That way you'll know how to draw and sew a straight line and can practice real techniques while there. VCU requires a foundation year audition to get into the department.
2. The most successful jobs in the fashion industry... hmmm well that all depends on your definition of successful. You can find any facet of the industry enjoyable. There are a lot of categories: Sourcing, Designer, Technical designer, Patternmaker, Draper, Cutter, Illustrator... Womenswear, Childrenswear, Menswear, Dogwear! It's up to you to find out where you will be happy.
3. I feel that attending a school is beneficial. Attending an art/trade school will allow you to focus on improving and learning new skills a lot faster than doing it on your own while working full time and etc. But it's up to you once again. A lot of the competitions and companies desiring interns recruit only through academia. So if you want to make life easier on yourself being in college will get you where you want to be faster- in my opinion.
4. Internships are absolutely essential towards getting a job- no way around it. My internship experience took all of my skills that I had learned in school and got me ready for the real world. Other internships will make you wise through observation only. I definitely think it helps to get a job in the industry by having internship experience. Definitely.
Regarding fashion careers, I think you have answered your own question. It is not really possible to state which job in the fashion industry is most "successful" because each person measures success differently. My guess is that being the CEO of Macy's would be a rather important position... However, I also believe that the sales people that work in each Macy's location are of significant importance as well... Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and "success" may be evaluated in a similar fashion...
To answer your question about education. You will find that the "majority" of people in the fashion industry may not have any formal education in regard to fashion. However, in my opinion education can never hurt. If you have the opportunity to take classes in textiles or fashion, one should do so. However, I do not think that it is a "requirement" to be successful in this industry.
In regard to the question of "interns". In all honesty, I do not think that internships are the best method for "employees". However, I do think that they are excellent for "employers". If you truly could not find a paying job in the fashion industry, I would say get an internship so you can at least get your foot in the door and prove yourself to the management team for a possible paying job in the future. However, if you can find an official job (a job that pays), why in the world would you bother working for free...