So, you want to be my student

If you want to be my student, please pay close attention:

I generally fund RA positions only to PhD students.
I advise MS students only if their research intersects with mine.

If you meet these qualifications, then perform the following exercise:

Choose 2-3 publications from my website that interest you
Write a critical review of the papers, including why the work is interesting, but most importantly where you think the work should go next. In this review, you are proving to me that you understand the purpose of research, and most importantly that you understand the technical details of the paper and how they relate to research.

I recommend you do this sometime before the application deadline of the department. If you are a strong student, and I know you are applying, I can do much more for you in terms of fellowships.