how many graduate students he or she is currently supervising).
If the faculty member is “in the market” for one or more new students, s/he will be looking for real stand-outs–i.e., applicants who clearly have what it takes to succeed as graduate students. By accepting a student, a faculty member undertakes a substantial commitment in terms of time and resources; if the student does well, all benefit, but if the student does not do well the faculty member’s career suffers (due to a major investment of time and resources that does not culminate in scholarly publications). Consequently, applicants must do everything in their power to communicate their strengths to potential graduate supervisors. Developing and communicating your strengths in ways that are appropriate for graduate school requires an understanding of the skills and abilities that are important for success in graduate school. In a research science, graduate school is not like undergraduate school.
