chengc5

Thank you for your response, these are very valuable information!

So, do I just email the potential mentors, introduce myself, and show my interest in working with him or her? What should I say in the e-mail to impress them and therefore help with my chances of getting into the program? In addition, lets assume I already contacted a potential mentor, and his or her field greatly corresponded with my research interest, how do I make sure to show this aspect in my application? Would the professor tell the admission office? Or do I have to specifically state my contact experience with the professor in my personal statement?

Hi, I am an international student majoring in both comparative literature and German in the U.S., with a 3.86 gpa in Comp-Lit and 3.87 gpa in German. I am planning to apply for phd programs this year and am here to ask for some advices. I know my gpa is in pretty good standing. I speak English, German, Chinese, Taiwanese, and some knowledge in Japanese; so the language requirement is not a problem. I am also currently writing an honors thesis, which I will use as my writing sample for graduate school applications. My question is, are there any other things that I can do to put myself in a better position in applying to graduate schools? Should I try to attend some conferences or publish my papers?