Thank you for your interest in pursuing a PhD in CS/EE/CPE with me. Due to the high volume of applications I receive, I kindly request that you review the following criteria before contacting me to ensure that your application will be considered:

Selection Criteria:

• I strongly prefer Master's students but I allow exceptions. Generally, you should:
• Hold a Master's degree AND have at least one first-authored decent publication (publications in unknown venues are not eligible).
• Exception: Hold a Bachelor's degree, have at least one first-authored top-tier publication, AND gradudated from a good-ranking university in your country with GPA>3.20.
• English Proficiency (for international students):
  • Minimum subcategory score: TOEFL: 22 | IELTS: 6.5 | Duolingo: 110.
  • GRE (not mandatory but preferred) - Minimum score: V 150, Q 160, AW 3.

• Fill out this table and paste it into the body of your email (no need to write your own, long cover letter).
• Attach your CV, Bachelor's and Master's transcripts, and TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo/GRE score sheets.
• Your representative publications.

Best regards,
Dr. Thomas Luo

P.S. I advise PhD students in three programs: Computer Science (CS), Computer Engineering (CPE), and Electrical Engineering (EE). You are free to choose your favorite program, but if you are unsure, no worries---we can discuss.

Useful links:
Applying to Grad School
CS Graduate handbook | CPE Graduate handbook | EE Graduate handbook (note that admission to EE requires GRE while CS and CPE do not)