Getting accepted into a top level CS program.
fadmmatt: I got my Ph.D. in CS from Georgia Tech (I think it's #9 according to the joke that is US News), and I'm a prof at the University of Utah.  Here are my three points of advice:1. PUBLISH!
2. PUBLISH!!
3. PUBLISH!!!When I'm reviewing applicants for admission, I look at three things: (1) prior research, (2) letters of recommendation and (3) personal statement.  I look at them in that order.I don't care whether you came from MIT or Bumblefark State U.   I don't care whether your GPA was a 2.0 or a 4.0.  I don't care whether your Math GRE is an 800 or a 600.  I won't look at your transcript either.I care only about your potential to do research with me.  (Keep this in mind when you're choosing which areas and which professors you'd like to work with on the application; it will determine who sees your application.)My last piece of advice would be to consider a broad range of schools.  The rankings put out by US News are completely off base.  Many "lowly ranked" schools have deep strengths in particular areas.Northeastern University, for instance, has an outstanding programming languages faculty, but they get no credit for it in the rankings.I'll also plug the University of Utah as a great place to come for programming languages/compilers, formal methods, graphics and scientific computing.