@Miaomiao
Hi Miaomiao, I hope you're getting some good rest! Wishing you the best of luck with your applications if you decide to apply next year. From my experience, having connections with POIs is great, but I guess it's not a determining factor. Please don't feel discouraged if you aren't able to contact professors prior to applying. It may be helpful to consider how the research expertise and courses of several professors in the program—alongside your potential advisor—could enrich your work.
