Graduate school... what?!

So I have been slowly starting to look at graduate school programs. The more I look, the more terrified I become. As one of my friends pointed out, you take pretty much the same classes at any school for undergrad. But that's not true for graduate school. It's not just classes that I need to look at. I have to consider the research that is being done as well. Out of the hundreds (or thousands?) of biomedical engineering research projects being done right now, I have to select one that I want to do for the next five years. Plus, I have to consider the city that I will be living in. The cost of living, the vibe of the area, availability of public transportation, the local food, etc.

Does anyone else think this sounds like an INSANE idea?! I'm trying to decide my entire future... from a few webpages. I wouldn't pick my husband just by looking at a webpage, why should I do so little for a graduate school? It's basically like picking a life partner.

This is such an overwhelming process. Right now, I have a long list of graduate programs all over the country, with a strong preference for the mid Atlantic area (hey, I actually kind of like this area). I'm trying to narrow it down to 15 schools (with an eventual goal of 8)... but what if I pick the wrong ones? What if I eliminate the perfect graduate school program for me? What if the perfect program is far away from home? What if I'm not really interested in the topics I think I'm interested in? What if I can't handle being in a non-diverse environment again (UMBC's diversity has spoiled me so much)? What if the school I pick just... isn't right for me?

So many questions! But at the very least, I have people to help me with this next big step. I have never been so grateful for the M staff in my entire life.