Yes, I've talked with advisors at the schools/program/whatever. There are about 3 I want to work with, spread around 3 different schools. We've talked on the phone, and two of them personally called me and said that their school/program/whatever is interested in me and is making me an offer.
I guess I'm more interested in the 3rd advisor who hasn't responded yet. All else being equal (all the professors being equal, same interests, blah blah blah), this 3rd advisor is just at a better school, while the other two are still good schools, but not as good as the 3rd.
In this case I think it's quite appropriate to drop advisor #3 a line and let them know you have offers in hand that require a reply by date x. That person probably has a good idea by now of whom they want to admit, and if that's you they'll not want you to go somewhere else. It's not like you're a random applicant calling out of the blue.
I'd discourage you from making a final decision until you talk with current grad students at each program. They'll be able to give you a fuller picture than what you'll get from the faculty. One or more of these schools might not be quite as good as you think.
