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Hello there, I was wondering if anyone had an insight on how differently applications of foreign students are evaluated (if they are evaluated differently at all)? Specifically, I wonder whether GRE scores matter as much, whether we (foreign students) are penalized for having letters of recommendation written by professors the Graduate Committee's never heard of and for having fewer opportunities to work on research projects (especially in areas of social science). I'd really appreciate any advice since I graduated from an Italian university with GPA equivalent of the American 4.0 in both undergrads and M.A.; my TOEFL score is 116/120 (still have to take the GRE) and my letters of recommendation are very flattering, yet I worry that the fact I have only one publication (and it's not peer-reviewed) and limited research experience (merely the second year of my M.A., which I dedicated to research) will preclude me from high-ranking universities such as Yale, Columbia or even Minnesota so I may be just wasting time and money and should aim lower. I know the "fit" is important but what about experience with research and the GRE scores? Also, could anyone suggest useful resources for those of us who have virtually no support systems regarding the feedback on the quality of our writing samples and SOP? Lastly, since my field is Political Science, are multiple foreign languages (advanced levels) valued or should I refrain from stressing their importance? I'd really, really, appreciate an answer