- Know the schools you're applying to. As socgraduate11 pointed out, fit is everything. Know the department specialties, general rank, what they're looking for, funding policies, all that stuff. The more you know about a school, the better able you'll be to decide whether it's worth throwing down $50-150 on a grad application. Also, the better you will be able to tailor your application to that school's culture and priorities. Read articles by POIs before you contact them. Knowing their research will tell you whether you might want to work with them and will give you ways to make connections.
- Don't apply to schools that don't specialize in your area(s) of interest. If no one can supervise your research, you will not get in no matter how fascinating your proposed research may be.
- It's very important to have multiple "safeties" (though there are really no "safeties" anymore), but don't apply anywhere you would never actually go. That's just a waste of time and money. Don't apply to only top-10 programs, either, 'cause that's a great way to screw yourself out of going to grad school next year. It's scary out there.
- Be organized. Have a system to coordinate the application process. Maintain a complete list of all requirements for each school -- deadlines, number of LORs, writing sample/SOP length, number of transcripts, application fees, contact info for POI, etc -- and check things off as you go along. Document everything. Consider the application process a part-time job. It will take several hours per week and will last for weeks or months. Build it into your schedule.
- Network. If you're in undergrad, find out whether your professors know anyone where you're applying. Academia's a very small world, and you'd be surprised who used to be poker buddies or grad school friends. This will help you.
- Strong LORs from non-famous professors are much more powerful than mediocre LORs from famous professors. Make sure your letter-writers have something to say about you. Provide each of them with your CV, the latest draft of your SOP, a writing sample (preferably from a class you took with them), and a list of schools and deadlines. Never underestimate the value of a nice, hand-written thank you note.
- Submit PDFs whenever possible -- they look more professional and the formatting won't get weird on the other end. Label every document you submit with your name, program, and applicant number or SSN. The adcom is dealing with thousands of pieces of paper, so make it easy for them. If you're submitting a paper copy of your application, find out whether they prefer it piecemeal or all in one envelope. Include a cover letter.
- As goodmp noted, something will go wrong. Your LOR writers will zone out. Your transcripts will get lost in the mail. The online system won't take your credit card. Do not wait until the last minute. Plan to have things submitted weeks before they're actually due, especially if you're submitting a paper copy. It's bound to get lost (related: pay the extra 50 cents and get a delivery confirmation).
- The statement of purpose is the single most important part of your application. Write well, and even with a little bit of humor if you feel comfortable enough, but don't be too cutesy. No stories about how you read the Washington Post every day as a five year old and that's how you decided you wanted to be a political sociologist. In my experience, faculty generally treat grad students as junior-junior-professors (which is one of the best parts of grad school). Do your best to sound like one; demonstrate that you have focus, attention to detail, a theoretical perspective, an interesting background, a plan of attack for your grad work, and ambition toward your future.
Sorry if that's too much. It got me into my top picks, though, so maybe it'll help someone out there.
Sorry to hear about that. As someone who never thought they could do well on standardized tests (took the SAT four times) I approached the GRE from the standpoint that its definitely not a metric of your competency to succeed in graduate school but simply a matter of "can you figure out the "formula" to do well on the test. Test taking is certainly an art and unfortunately doesn't reward creative thinking often. I took the old GRE and did quite well but the same principles of good studying apply to the new one. For the writing, I highly recommend reading sample essays and breaking each paragraph apart line by line. Examine the "function" of each sentence so that you can literally make a "road map" of the essay . It doesn't hurt to rewrite a sample 6 essay in your own words (while staying faithful to the original version) so that you can get a sense of what makes a strong introductory sentence, thesis, how to introduce supportive evidence, etc. Hope this helps!
