<p>smile, I think you gave great advice re: how parents and prospective students should approach looking at their finalists. Only thing I would add is to try to do an overnight visit on a Friday, so you can go to classes and then experience the weekend night-life. I actually eliminated my first choice due to a surprisingly bad visit (host skipped the courses he had on Friday, a different student took me to a history course which was the driest lecture I ever endured, then the host spent Friday night talking to his girlfriend on AOL).</p>