[p1esk]

Are you kidding?

Of course a professor has control over the admission process. If he wants you on his team, you're in, unless you have a criminal record, or GPA below 3.0 (or whatever is absolute minimum for that particular grad school).

Think of it as a hiring process, with the professor as a hiring manager.

[Balgair]

No, I am not kidding.

Based on the conversations I have had, it seems to be typical that a committee selects the applicants, not the professors. That is what all the professors tell me.

That being said, I would be stunned if this were the truth. There is no frickin way that this happens. Here's how I imagine it:

'Admissions committee is in session' 'So, which of these bozos we gonna pick?' 'I want Joe, Schmo, and Dingus' 'Sweet, I want Harry, and Fiona' 'Ok, we all cool?' 'Yep' 'Aite, lets get beers'

[p1esk]

Well, the committee also has a job of selecting the rest of the applicants, if there are still places left after professors made their recommendations.