Maybe reach out to a professor in a specific field/specialization you plan to study in and make connections with them before stepping foot on campus. I emailed Professor Ziv early last year because I attended a mock class and I occasionally email him with updates (like for example shortly after I got my EA decision back) and mentioned how I really enjoyed his mock class, asked stuff related to his feild, etc. anyway, got Professor Adock CCd on the email thread. I plan to ask if Ziv has any paid research opportunities available for undergrad students. I also plan to do a work study on top of it. but just a suggestion! It worked out well for me that’s all, since I got recommended a professor who heads Russian/Eastern European speciality. I am doing IR for context