When did you apply, and to what schools? These days, good luck getting in a top tier institution for CS without a solid track record (I.e. a publication or two

When did you apply, and to what schools? These days, good luck getting in a top tier institution for CS without a solid track record (I.e. a publication or two at an ACM/IEEE conference, and letters of rec from reputable professors/researchers in your field). The letters of rec are what make or break your application. I agree that it's a bit over the top, but that's how it is.