who is applying to grad school this year?

gravenewworld

And do you have any tips? Is there anyone here that is an adcom for a school? If so how do you really evaluate a student? Are their essays really that important? Should I go look up some journal articles on every professor I'm interested in studying under and mention their work in my essays to make me more competitive by showing I REALLY have an interest in going to grad school and am not going simply to ride out a terrible economy?