MIT, Harvard, Stanford,... PhD admissions

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm a Biotech rising senior in Europe. I'm interested in applying to one of the top bioengineering schools in the US (the classics). I was wondering how difficult it is for international students (and more precisely, Europeans, if that makes a difference) to get admitted. Also, does anybody have any experience applying to these places? What do you think is the most important part in the application?</p>

<p>And would you recommend any strategies previous to the application? For example, would writing an email to a certain professor in the department where I want to apply make a difference?</p>

<p>Thank you for your time.</p>