Offer upgraded with 'Houston Endowment Fellowship'. BT-MT from IITK, 3 pubs (& 1 pending)(updated), 1 intern, 2 conf., 2 years experience as a researcher in an international research lab.
2.5 yrs of research; 1 publication (co-first author); 1 more publication in progress (first author); multiple conference presentations; I contacted six professors before submitting my application, and all of them kindly replied. The admission committee makes the decisions, but I also had an informal interview with two of the professors when I contacted them.