That's not entirely true. I have an incredible education, but am pursuing a career in the arts. I'm more than qualified to write copy. In fact, I turned down a job with a top ad agency because there aren't enough hours in a day to balance two full-time careers. Rent in NYC is about as expensive as it gets, so I write web content for extra income.
In the era of the internet, everyone is an 'expert', so I understand your fundamental distrust of the writers that populate these forums. That being said, it's usually pretty easy to spot a bad egg. The problem is that these unqualified writers work for next to nothing and drive the price of content down with them. As a result, the average buyer assumes the price for good copy is minimal, when in reality, you get what you pay for. If you need good copy, look around. We're out there.
As for OP, if you want to pursue a career as copywriter, I would suggest getting started on your portfolio as soon as possible and understand that it is never set in stone, but rather a constantly evolving alongside your skillset. Never stop working on it. You also need to be willing to intern/apprentice/work for free until you get your feet wet. It's become a competitive field, especially with the rise of 'Mad Men'. If you're talented and have ambition, you can go far. (I'm assuming that you're referring to advertising.)
Best of luck,
Jesse
