Re: Grad School Rejection: Worth trying to find out why?
Yeah, you got screwed because of the lack of research, no doubt. I know that in the sciences at least (which are less competitive) you won't get in anywhere decent without some sort of research, and for the top 10 you need pubs in addition to top tier grades and test scores. Many of these places are like 500 apps for 20 spots, it's hilarious.
Personally most people I know who got their name on pubs in undergrad didn't do much in the way of actual creative work. Usually they just button-pushed or maybe did a little programming while the grad students and postdocs did all the actual work.
With regards to your actual question I have read that they do take admissions very seriously and if your application was otherwise competitive, which it sounds like it was, they spend a lot of time on reading the materials. My guess is that you probably could talk to someone who would tell you the truth about why you didn't get in and give an honest evaluation, although they might not talk much about your recs.
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