Aleatha Parker-Wood - Not nearly enough! I asked professors for letters of recommendation, but there were other questions I should have asked, like how to figure out what schools were good in a given research area, or what schools I had a shot at getting into. Or what qualities schools looked for in a grad student (hint: perseverance is high on the list. So is having made contact with a professor at the school before you ever apply, or getting a letter of recommendation from a professor they know.)

Adrian Sampson - I got a lot of help from CS professors at Harvey Mudd while I was applying. The most valuable advice I got was about which schools to apply to and which research areas to consider: the faculty had the best insight into the differences between small and large schools, between the culture of various groups and areas, and they could tell stories about their own experience at their alma maters and schools they'd visited. I also used my college's Writing Center for help with the many essays involved.

Justine Sherry - I asked the professors and graduate students in my department. They told me about what was important in my application (my letters of rec and my statement of purpose, primarily), where to apply, and what my chances were at getting in to different schools.

Aleatha Parker-Wood - I applied to five schools, based on the existence of an NLP group at each school, and whether or not my husband would be able to find a job in that city. UCSC doesn't have an NLP group, and I applied only because one of the professors writing me a letter of recommendation insisted that I should. I'm now very happily doing research in his lab, in a field rather different from NLP. Don't rule out other fields than the one you are applying in!

Adrian Sampson - Because I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do in grad school, it was hard for me to choose specific people I wanted to work with. Instead, I spent a lot of time on schools' Web sites, reading through research topics and paper abstracts to find stuff that was exciting to me. I eventually settled on 10 schools, most of them because they had at least two or three general research groups that sounded interesting. I also used my professors' advice about the differences in culture between the departments -- I tended more toward schools that sounded relaxed and collaborative than ones that had a more competitive or high-stakes reputation.

Justine Sherry - I didn't know anything about the schools I applied to at first! I asked my professors for advice after we talked about what my interests where and what kinds of problems I wanted to work on. They knew an awful lot more than I could have figured out searching on my own.

Aleatha Parker-Wood - I agonized over the essay (and shouldn't have.) In retrospect, I should have focused more on the letters of recommendation, and figuring out which professors would be best to write recommendations for which schools.

Adrian Sampson - I found it difficult to write "personal statement" essays as a student without a fully-formed research direction. Because I wanted to dabble in a few different areas in grad school, it was hard to articulate my interests clearly and specifically. In my experience since starting grad school, I've found that we grad students (as well as professors) are so accustomed to people having specific personal research goals that we forget that undergrads are not already full-time researchers and do not always the same kinds of goals or interests. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten more advice on concocting and articulating a clear statement of my interests in CS.

Justine Sherry - At first, I was nervous about asking for help, and especially about asking for letters of recommendation. That was silly: professors write several letters a year for students and they consider it part of their job. In fact, a desire to help students succeed is a common reason people go in to academia in the first place.

Aleatha Parker-Wood - In my case, it was simple. The real estate market had crashed between when I decided to go to graduate school and when I was accepted, so I went to the school that wouldn't require me to sell my house and move. Fortunately, it's an excellent research group in a good school. I wouldn't recommend letting practical considerations drive your decision, but it worked out well in my specific case.

Adrian Sampson - The "visit days" hosted by some departments were by far the most helpful in deciding where to go. I got to hear about a dizzying array of interesting research projects and, just as importantly, I got to talk directly to students about their lives in grad school. Talking to people in person was invaluable in getting an accurate picture of each department.

Justine Sherry - I went with my gut! I just felt like I "clicked' best when I reached Berkeley, but what criteria makes a school "click" definitely varies from student to student.

Gregory Hager - Most important to me is the level of personal knowledge and insight that I find in the recommendation letters. There are plenty of smart people applying to grad school, but I am interested in the ones who've gone outside the normal curriculum and established a reputation for themselves with someone who's reputation I trust.

Stephanie Forrest - Is the student capable of learning the technical skills required to get through our program? Can the student think independently? Is the student simply trying to gain admission to the best ranked school that will accept her, or does she have a reason to attend my school?

Margo Seltzer - A demonstration that the student understands what research is and a convincing explanation of why s/he wants to conduct research.

Gregory Hager - have to admit I take all of the statements with a grain of salt; most people change course quite a lot once they are in grad school. That being said, it is easy to spot someone who has spent some time acquainting themselves with a research area. I find that most important. It's easy to say you have an interest in X-Y-Z, but much harder to convince someone you *know something* about X-Y-Z that you didn't just learn in class. I would point out that the best way to acquire this background is to talk to someone and engage in a discussion of ideas. This also provides you with that all-important letter writer.

Stephanie Forrest - Vision, openmindedness, and passion. Many students apply without any idea of what they are interested in or why they chose computer science; Other students apply thinking they know exactly what their dissertation topic will be. Both of these extremes send up warning flags for me. I like an essay that gives me some sense of who the applicant is, both personally and intellectually. I also use the essay as an opportunity to evaluate the candidate's writing skills.

Margo Seltzer - Let me start with what I don't want to see -- while I want to get to know my own students in depth, in an applicant, I am not interested in how you got into Computer Science and what motivated you as a child. Instead, I am interested in why you want to come to graduate school, why you want a PhD, on what experience you are basing this decision, and what you think you might want to do. You needn't have a research question in mind, but I want to be convinced that you understand what you're getting yourself into.

Gregory Hager - I expect reasonable overall scores, and I look in particular for high verbal scores. But, there is a relatively poor correlation between scores and grad school success. Ambition and tenacity play a much larger role.

Stephanie Forrest - We use them primarily to assess the candidate's aptitude for the field and the likelihood that they can complete our program. We also use them to determine which admitted students will be offered financial support.

Margo Seltzer - GREs are a minimum threshold -- poor scores (without explanation) can prevent you from being seriously considered, but good scores aren't enough to get you in.

Gregory Hager - As I already noted above, pick a topic that interests you and *read.* Try to write a review of the area. Try to become an expert. Seek out a faculty member to try some ideas or understanding on. It will show in your essay and possibly in your letters of recommendation.

Stephanie Forrest - Write an excellent essay. My institution doesn't expect students to have undergraduate research experiences.

Margo Seltzer - Take a job that gives you the opportunity to demonstrate independent thought, curiosity, and an ability to figure things out. I have accepted students without research experience, but in those cases they have done other things that convince me that they have the skills to undertake research.

Gregory Hager - Depends heavily on the person. Some of my most successful students have taken time off to work. They are successful because they learn real-world work skills -- how to define and meet a goal; how to be efficient; when to ask questions. That being said, more than a year or two makes it much harder to come back. I've had poor luck with students who've been more than a couple of years out of school.

Stephanie Forrest - Generally, we value work experience between college and graduate school, depending on the length of the gap. Students returning to school after working for awhile often find it difficult to adjust to the 24-7 commitment required for a Ph.D. However, they are usually more determined to succeed because they know why they are in school. This helps carry them through any rough times they may have in the program.

Margo Seltzer - Since I took several years between undergrad and grad school, I always look favorably upon students who have work experience. Particularly in my area (systems), real-world experience is plus assuming you've worked on a significant project and/or been part of a team.

Gregory Hager - Pick faculty in your best classes, or classes where you spoke up a lot. There is a chance that they'll remember you (I never forget the faces of people who talk in class). Go to their office and see them; remind them of who you are. Talk with them about why you want to go to grad school and what your aspirations are. Make sure when they write the letter, they can write something about *you* and not just about your grade and the class you took.

Stephanie Forrest - This can be a problem, especially if you are coming from a larger school or have been out of school for awhile. My recommendation is to go back to the professors who you received the best grades from, remind them of who you are, when you took the class, and why you are special.

Margo Seltzer - Select faculty in whose courses you did well. Provide them with additional information on who you are, why you want to go to graduate school, and why you are asking them for a letter. Have your statement of purpose written before you ask them, so you can send it to them. Offer to meet with them. Basically, give them every opportunity to get to know you before/while they are writing your letter.

Gregory Hager - First, talk to your own professors; often they will know people at the school you've applied to. Ask them if they would be willing to contact them. Nothing gets you in the door like a personal connection. Also, follow up with specific faculty at each school. Someone who calls me up or visits and makes a good impression has an immediate step up from all of the rest of the "paper" applicants.

Stephanie Forrest - Try to contact some of the faculty who you think you might want to work with and discuss your interest in their program, asking some intelligent questions. Remember that most faculty receive hundreds of email queries every year from students looking for financial support to go to graduate school. A personalized email message that establishes a real connection with my research interests always gets my attention. Since I'm female, I automatically delete any message that begins with "Dear Sir"---an obvious tipoff that it's a form message.

Margo Seltzer - Be yourself. We want to accept YOU, not some imaginary person you think you need to be.