I would simply spend some time at the school.
Talking to students and professors is a good idea.
Read message boards. Attend events or activities. Read the school newspaper. Browse the library. Read the local community paper's archives for stories about the school.
Get a feel for the flavor, the tone of the school.
Last year I spent a weekend at a private 4-year liberal arts college for a state-wide inservice. I got to do much of the above. I was wistful; I spent years and years taking classes at night, part time, from the local community college and a state university's local satellite campus. My choices, including area of study, were dictated by finances and by the limited local offerings. In my world, there weren't opportunities to go off to a big university, live in a dorm, and focus soley on my education. I had myself and others to support, and very limited means. When my sons left high school, the situation was much the same. While I was wandering that campus, I took a couple of pictures and sent them off to my oldest, working on his masters at a state university. He texted back, "Where are you???" I told him, and said, "if only we had $45,000 a year, you could be here, too."
The point being, I guess, that, as both a student and a parent, my primary concerns were always, "Can I pay for this?" For myself, it was also, "How will I pay the bills while I do this?" and "Which of the 3 degrees offered should I pursue, and what can I do with it after?"
I should have spent more time on that last question.
= new reply since forum marked as read