Yobatef

Thanks for the response. I sent V an email. I have more questions, but I think these are easier. So I think K is a really good match for me, and I want to try my very best to be accepted to his university and subsequently work with him. Many people here suggest emailing POIs for an increased chance of success, so that is what I plan to do. But the question is: when? I haven't yet submitted my application (the deadline is Jan 15th). Is it better to contact him before I submit my application or after? I'm fairly confident he will take new student(s), but I'm not totally sure. And I'm applying to the school anyway because I have other professors in mind. Thanks again.

Can anyone give me advice?

Hi, so an interesting opportunity has presented itself and I'm not sure if I can use it to my advantage or not. Let me illustrate the scenario (hopefully it's not too hard to follow): So it turns out that this professor that I'm interested in working with (let's call him K) knows someone (call him V) whom I know. They know each other because they worked on project Y together, which entails Topic X. I know V because I worked in the same lab as him. Although I didn't work directly with V, he is familiar with my goals and knows that I am interested in applying to graduate school to study Topic X. V knows these things because I specifically asked him for advice about my career. Would it help or hurt my case if I asked V to "virtually" introduce me? Or would it just be better to mention to K that I know V and that I'm familiar with project Y? Maybe neither of those. Is there anything I can do to maximize my chances of having K take me as a student?