I agree, everyone's done a great job describing the preschools. Too bad I didn't have this info before I looked around. Hopefully it will help out those of you with 2 and 3 year olds for next year.
We also started looking late. There was a particular preschool I heard people raving about and it was already full with a waiting list. It was important for me to find a place that was both close to home and that my daughter would find comforatable. I checked out two local ones, one being a Catholic school, the other at a Methodist Church. We both preferred the Catholic School one(they had better toys!), which is where she is currently going. I felt much more comfortable with the staff there. They have two wonderful teachers that have been there for 14 years. Also, my sister's children go to regular school there, so there is a comfort that other family is there. They have play time, as well as gym, art, music. They practice letters everyday and do the normal weather, alphabet, days of the week etc. stuff. They also have to use their manners or they don't get snack, which is important for me.
I never looked into a coop, but a lot of moms seem to really like that. Having just had another child in the last year, I was really looking for somewhere that she could go without me. It helps me in that I can have some alone time with the baby or get errands done with only one child and I think it is good for my daughter to have other adults to listen and learn from for a few hours a week.
Overall, I am thrilled with the preschool. She really enjoys it and is excited to go every M, W, and F. My only negative is that I haven't gotten alot of specific feedback on how she is interacting and doing. The teachers always say she's doing great but it would be nice to talk to them more one on one. We are welcome to go in and observe etc. but I really think she would just cling to me if I was actually there.
Good luck for next year everyone!