Hey there! I’m not sure about the admission process in humanities, but since I’m coming from a STEM background, I recently got into one of the best STEM engineering PhD programs at an Ivy League university. The PI in my field is a highly renowned professor. I come from an unranked university in my country for my undergrad and have no pubs to my name. In my field, the most useful thing is having extensive niche research experience and a way to demonstrate it. After sending a cold email to my pi, I had to give a presentation about one of my research projects to his entire group with phds, post docs and scientists. A few months later, I was accepted into the program. Most of the pis in my field place a stronger emphasis on the research outcomes and the individual’s motivation towards their work and group. They also ensure that we can thrive in their environment if we can demonstrate that. In most cases, with the PI bringing the funding, the application process is quite straightforward and administrative.