1 did not have a clear first choice, and left most of the list-making to me! "Major league city" was one criterion. He was very very busy, in the heat of his policy debate competition, which along with working for school newspaper pretty much consumed all his non-classroom waking hours. He only visited colleges after he was admitted. Everything worked out fine. He attended UChicago.
2 did not want to apply ED to art schools. She was still building her portfolio, but also visiting National Portfolio Days to show her work and get advice. All of her applications were successful, and she chose RISD from those.