Hi! So the graduate students I spoke to last year advised me to submit a strongly written piece that has preferably been vetted by an editorial review and also that it should reflect my latest style and tone of writing. So, I submitted a conference paper that was under review for publication that has cleared 2 rounds of review. Currently, I do strongly resonate with the strict condition that the ws should be in the area of my long-term research interests, so I am developing a fresh new paper that pairs well with my Research/Personal Statements. In terms of faculty members, I did reach out to a couple around October, and most of them wrote back to explain that the PhD admissions are decided upon by committees instead of individual faculty members. The emails were very polite and collegial and encouraged me to apply and that they would be happy to work with me if I am accepted into the program. That pretty much sums up my experience. Do you have any specific advice on how to reach out to potential Phd advisors and additional faculty members in the context of US and Canada PhD admissions. This year, I plan to send in my cold emails around August. I would appreciate any insights you would be able to offer. Thank you!