>I am a second year graduate student and my advice is this:
>Do not completely igore the rankings of certain universities, >but pay
>closer attention to the faculty at the institution...

Absolutely!  Especially for a Ph.D. program, you should choose your advisor
before you choose the school.  If you aren't interested in the professor's
articles and books, why would you be interested in studying for
who-knows-how-many-years with him?  And if the professor hasn't responded
to your letter, e-mail, or phone call (talk to the department
secretaries--they'll know which form of communication the prof. prefers)
about your interests in their program, reconsider whether you really want
to go there.

During my application process I really enjoyed "Getting What You Came For:
The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or a Ph.D." by Robert
Peters, Ph.D. (Noonday Press). Great advice, plenty of anecdotes, and good
humor.

Kirsten Ellenbogen
(2nd year in my Ph.D. program, and yes, I have a great advisor.)