I'm curious to know how you all made the decision of which schools to apply to. What were your criteria in choosing potential schools?
Personally, I couldn't afford to apply to more than 4, so I had to be more selective. I looked first and foremost at "fit" (by way of number of professors whose interests and research were similar to my own, not accepting any department with less than 3 potential advisors), then at factors like location, grad student happiness/involvement, funding potential, cost of living, types of classes offered, and overall department focus. I ended up surprising myself with how much the subject matter of courses mattered to me, particularly in smaller departments.
Less important to me were factors like rank and prestige, although I did give them some weight; that may seem insane, but I have a number of reasons for looking at it this way. Unfortunately, though, typing them out with my cell phone seems a chore, so I'll have to discuss them later, when I'm at a computer.