Current research and project interests of course instructors

Fortunately, I had good experiences with the people who were my advisors. But I knew people who had very specific expectations of the role their advisors would play in their academic career and were disappointed. One of the things they said they wish would have existed were students who could have told them what professors were like prior to entering the program. Some professors had very impressive CVs, but had little time and encouragement to offer as mentors. For people who have high aspirations and great desire to make a difference, it's sad to feel indifference from an advisor. Having more information about a potential mentor could have helped them make a different decision about where to study or, perhaps, to have more realistic expectations about grad school.

When considering going to school, the first thing that I did was get a list of all the professors and their respective areas of research. I directly contacted the people who seemed closest to my personal interests (one of whom conveniently happened to be the head of graduate studies). I actually found my advisor and arranged funding before even filling in a formal application!

But also beware of working with people who are not well "respected" in the faculty! Unfortunately there is no lack of politics, even in academic circles. Choosing the wrong advisor, no matter how supporting and competent they are, can make getting your research approved all the more difficult. And remember, the most important thing about doing graduate studies is GRADUATING. No one will care what you did your work in after you finish! That's from someone who has yet to graduate from two different PhD programs (and is still considering going back once again).