Good luck everybody! I applied last year and can field general questions regarding the application process or just stuff in general about programs at different schools. As a general note, there is no such thing as the perfect candidate. For example, at the time I applied, I had no publications (and was worried that this would hurt my chances). Turned out not to matter. Schools are judging you for your research potential, not for the research you've outputted. Sure, the fact that you've published stuff indicates that you have the potential to succeed in a research-driven career, but its not necessary. In my case, my GPA and letters of recommendation probably helped offset the lack of publications. That being said, no need to worry about one part of your application being weak!
Have any questions, just message me, or reply in this thread. I'll check back every now and then.
