Contact POI

[DeleteMePlease]

Hey All,

 

does it make sense to contact the Person of Interest. I want to know in particular wheter they are looking for new grad students. However, I don't know how to approach the person. Is a short mail enough? Or should I send a CV? 

 

Thanks!

[zapster]

Depends on your field (for example, business pHD programs normally discourage students from contacting POIs), but unless the school specifically mentions this on the website, I think contacting POIs is usually very beneficial.

 

You can attach a CV, but draft your mail assuming the POI will not open it, i.e. mention any critical (and impressive) information in the text of the mail itself. Short mail...too long and they might lose interest. Capture why you are interested in them (demonstrating you are familiar with their work), check if they are accepting students, and finish with a short profile that highlights your strengths.

 

Hope this helps!

[dat_nerd]

As a CS student, I would highly recommend that you introduce yourself. At worst, it does nothing for or against you. At best, it shows you are a proactive and dedicated applicant. I've heard of some people attaching a CV or talking about their credentials, but I didn't end up doing this. I think the purpose of your emails should be to introduce yourself to your future advisor and make sure you're a good fit, not try to gain an advantage over other students or convince the POI that you should be admitted. 

 

Format of my letters:

Introduce self, where I'm from, what I'm applying for

My interests, the POI's interests, and why I want to work with the POI (list particular projects or labs)

Will the POI be accepting students, and if so, for what projects?

Express interest again, and ask if they recommend that I read a particular publication from POI's lab

 

I mostly got canned responses, but a few wrote back with a personal letter. When I got accepted to a few schools, the POI at each school responded to my original letter, so I think the introduction helped.

[DeleteMePlease]

Thanks for the tip. I think I will first read some (more) of the papers of the POIs and then maybe add some comments on their research in my mail to show that I know what they are doing and that I am interested in their work.

 

Another question: When did you contact them? Is it too early? I am applying for Fall 2014 and plan to finish my applications in October or November.

Edited June 11, 2013 by GermanStudent

[Wildflower0105]

Thanks for the tip. I think I will first read some (more) of the papers of the POIs and then maybe add some comments on their research in my mail to show that I know what they are doing and that I am interested in their work.

 

Another question: When did you contact them? Is it too early? I am applying for Fall 2014 and plan to finish my applications in October or November.

Hi, I don't think its early. I am also applying for 2014 PhDs and I have made contact with most of my POIs. I plan on finishing the application process by November. 

In addition, if anyone has any more advice on how to make contact with/convince POIs , it'll be very helpful!

[DropTheBase]

It's never too early.

 

In my emails, I did the following (similar to dat_nerd):

 

Subject line: Prospective Graduate Student Interested in (Project that POI does) <- they'll know right away what this email is about

 

- I'm from (school), I work in (professor)'s group working on (project). <- keep this sentence as short as possible.

- I read your paper on (project you're interested in) and I was hoping you could tell me more about the current status of this project

 

-----------------

 

I was very lucky. I got a response from every POI I contacted using this type of email. This type of email says so much about you and only asks for a little bit of information in return. It doesn't put the POI in an awkward situation. In my experience, if you make it clear to a POI that you're a prospective graduate student (subject line), he/she already knows that you're curious whether or not the POI is taking new students, and he/she will most likely mention it. They were once in your position.

 

If you are confident and want to go the extra mile. In the email, ask the POI if he/she is available to speak over the phone. You can demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm in the POI's work over the phone on a much more personal and memorable level. 

 

DTB

[Monochrome Spring]

I found that some professors requested that a CV be attached to the email on their websites. So, look out for that. Also, I made a point not to sound to anxious about particular projects that the lab is working on, since students are expected to do their own work to some extent. Some professors don't update their webpages often, so they may not be taking more students for that particular project. I focused more on the goals of the lab, in general. That way, I can fit into current projects if need be, but I can also add with my own ideas.

 

I started contacting professors in July, and found that most of them respond quickly. I think that emailing them now is plenty early, because you want to maintain contact throughout the summer and fall.

 

My emails have been something like:

 

"Hi, my name is so and so. I am a rising senior at X school with X GPA in X major. My current research interests are X, Y, Z.

 

1 sentence on current research project. 1 sentence on senior thesis project coming up. 1 sentence on how I want to build on those ideas in graduate school. 1 sentence on how I think that the POI's lab and the university fit with my interests and vice-versa.

 

I was wondering if you are accepting graduate students for fall 2014. If you are, could we please talk more about my research interests and graduate school plans? Thank you for your time."

I usually leave the URL to my personal research website in the email signature. It includes more detailed discussions of my current research, future research interests, and my CV. If they decide to continue a conversation/phone call/skype call with you, they will often read through that information, just like you read through theirs.