Convert visa interview from Vistor -> F1 ?

[richa2]

Hello,

I want to join an MS program in Spring 2021 in USA (Jan2021). I hope to get an admit by Sept2020. I applied for a B1/B2 visa in May 2020 and got a confirmed visa interview date in October 2020 for B1/B2. I applied for B1/B2 because there was no clarity on MS programs or F1 visa in May + I feared that by the time I get admit for Spring2021 (say by sept2020), the interview dates may only be available after Jan 2021. I thought why not goto US on a visitor visa say in Dec 2020, visit my cousins and eventually join the program where I get an admit in Jan2021. Now I have the following questions:

1. Is the probability of B1 visa issuance quite low for me? During the visa interview, if I say I want to go there for tourism purposes, they may not accept it because of current covid situation, correct?
2. In B1/B2 visa interview can I say that I want to goto USA to check out universities to apply for F1 visa? Will it be ok?
3. If I get denial for B1 in October 2020 and I appear again in Nov2020 for F1, surely my chances for an F1 approval will be reduced because of the B1 denial?
4. Should I try to cancel my B1 visa interview and get a F1 visa interview instead?
5. I tried to “reschedule” my B1 visa interview and system says no dates available before March2021. Does anyone know if “reschedule availability” is the same availability as a fresh booking availability for any visa classes? Since B1 reschedule is not showing anything available till March 2021, this means that no F1 students will be able to get a visa appointment date for Spring 2021 session?
6. Does anyone know currently what consular dates are available in India for F1 students? Say someone tried for Fall2020?

Thanks for your help!