Apologies- I guess that did come off as a little critical, didn't it? Sorry about that. When I was applying to schools, I simply ruled out the ones in locations that I had no desire to spend four years in. I think there are enough schools out there that you can avoid going to an area you dislike. So if you know you would be unhappy in the Las Vegas area, please, by all means, drop it- you're better off focusing your energies on places that are right for you.
That being said, you're very right- you can't know a school very well until you've seen it and spoken with students. You may like it better than you think. At the very least, try to contact some current students online and ask them about the environmental elements that you're worried about. Maybe they'll confirm your concerns, of perhaps they can put them to rest. You're also free to ask me or anyone else who interviewed- obviously we know a lot less, but we did get a chance to get a feel for the place.
And yeah, this process is expensive. We all know that. If you get accepted at Touro NY, and you're satisfied with the experience you feel you'll have there, then you should take that acceptance and cancel interviews at schools you're not sure about. If a school you think (not necessarily know) you might like better offers to interview you, though, you've got a tough decision. At the end of the day, though, you're going to be 200k in debt in four years or so. Might as well max out the credit card now...
