When deciding where to apply, I wish that I hadn't been so preoccupied with "official" rankings, such as US News, which are not necessarily definitive (or completely reliable, for that matter). Instead of trying to figure how to make myself a good fit for certain schools, I should have been asking: "Which of these schools is a good fit for me?" Had I done so, my list of schools would probably have been much shorter, but my applications would perhaps have been stronger and more focused. I wish that I had discussed prospective schools with my undergrad advisor, rather than rely on the internet and my own judgement.
Boz got a reaction from Warlands in If I knew then what I know now...