<p>I agree totally with the great posts by kedstuff and onstage…</p>
<p>I think college visits are very important and need to be more in depth than an info session and campus tour. </p>
<p>I think a school should not be ruled out if it does not match up in every which way with one’s personal selection criteria because one must cast a wide net in such a competitive process as you are not yet selecting a college to attend but merely just one to apply to and they still have to select you. </p>
<p>I think it is important to remember you are comparing apples to oranges if you have only visited some schools on the list and the student’s preferences for schools will change some after visits to all campuses are made. </p>
<p>I think it is very important to talk to those directly IN the programs (faculty, administrators, current students, alums, parents) rather than rely on hearsay by others outside the programs (and in some vignettes I have heard, where members of one school tell a prospective student about another school, either bashing it or giving incorrect information). </p>
<p>The key is about FIT…the more in depth you explore, you will find schools that are good fits. It is a very personal process.</p>