"Being a student" translates materially to: (a) doing research, and (b) getting paid. Here is some useful information:
If you meet these requirements, consider the following exercise: Choose 2-3 papers from here that interest you. Write a brief critique of the papers, describing the intent, why its interesting, and where you think the work should go next. This is a mechanism for you to prove to me that you are (a) really interested in my research, and (b) that you understand the technical details. If you are a strong student, and I know you are applying, I can do much more for you in terms of admissions and funding.