I'm an MA student who made my way into a programme at a good but not great school. I used a method I don't think you mentioned. I found a way in even though my undergraduate grades weren't too good and I was coming from an outside discipline.

My friend called it 'backdooring into a programme.'

I took a graduate course as a special student at the University I wanted to get into. Many schools allow this. I then talked the Professor with whom I took the grad course. He thought I was already in the programme and his request that I work with him ensured my entrance. How did I insure that he would be receptive? Easy, I just worked hard, harder than I've ever worked before on a course. I prepped over the summer, before the class started, by reading the entire course recommended reading list (close to 100 articles). I visited him in his office to discuss the course, his research, my interests (which were curiously close to his), in a sense I wooed him.

It worked, I got in, and I am now just finishing my Masters Thesis.

Why am I writing to you? Because you have reminded me how the game is played.

Last year, thinking that I would be finished by last September, I applied to six programmes. I got six rejections. Some were very nice rejections. One even encouraged me to reapply. But they were all rejections. My error; I had no personal relationship with the schools to which I was applying. I had not contacted professors; and I had done it all at the last minute.

It threw me for a loop; I stopped working and ended up spending an extra term on my MA, rather than graduating two terms early as I had planned. There was no longer any point to it.

But now I'm going to reapply. I'm going to get in this time, because I'm going to remember what I did right the first time. I am going to establish a relationship with the schools to which I want to go. I'm going to contact professors. I'm going to do research on their interests. I'm going to inundated them with recommendations. I'm going to put my best foot forward.

I'm going to woo them.

Thanks for reminding me how it's done.