Late Networking?

I'm a sophomore at Cornell and it seems like 2024 SA recruitment is kicking off now. I managed to do absolutely 0 networking last semester and now I'm just kind of at a loss as to how to go about it. Should I just cold-email alumni? What do I ask them for?

My thought was to email something like "I'm applying to X position for 2024 and wanted to learn more about your group etc." Obviously more formal, fleshed out, and with the typical introduction and everything. Wanted to just see if this is the right general idea. I am unsure about mentioning that I am planning on applying but it seems dumb to skirt around that since I obviously am. Thoughts?

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