No, I've never been to the Institute. When I found out I had powers, the school wasn't really accepting new students.

[Didn't have Professor Xavier around to teach them, either, but she's better off not knowing that. Unless she's already assumed when he mentioned Scott- ...oh, oops.]

....Ah- actually, I read a bunch of self-help books. You'd be amazed at how useful they actually are at controlling special abilities.