Contacting Potential Faculty

[Esenabla]

Hey all,

Some people have told me that, before applying to PhD programs, it's a good idea to contact the faculty members with which you wish to work. I was just wondering what types of things people generally say or ask while reaching out to potential faculty. Thanks in advance!

 

[travelmug1Q84]

16 hours ago, Esenabla said:

Hey all,

Some people have told me that, before applying to PhD programs, it's a good idea to contact the faculty members with which you wish to work. I was just wondering what types of things people generally say or ask while reaching out to potential faculty. Thanks in advance!

 

1

What is infinitely better is if you know someone (one of your profs, for example) who knows faculty you want to meet and have them introduce you via email or at a conference.

[geedowg]

Be brief, introduce yourself, tell them why you’re interested in their research and see if they have time for a quick call or similar to answer a few questions of yours. Make sure to have questions that you couldn’t find th answer to online tho.

also travelmug is definitely right, but assuming you’re not in a position that luxurious , don’t be afraid to reach out. And definitely don’t get discouraged if people don’t get back to you. Professors are notoriously busy and don’t mean anything by it 

[seekingsun]

At my R1 school, pre-contacts by prospective students are not worth anyone's time.   The admissions committee is totally separate all but those few faculty who are assigned that committee that year.  When they narrow down the applications to a shortlist, they'll circulate potential finalists with potential mentors in order to guage fit and faculty interest.  Your reaching out ahead of time doesn't gain you any additional steps up in the process and really just adds to the email overload of already stretched to the limit faculty.  If you are trying to reach out to learn more about the program, you'll do much better to reach out to the existing graduate students.

For our program strong statements of purpose and letters of recommendation make the difference.   Networking doesn't help you get into the program at this stage.

[manofthehoff]

Make it short — one paragraph on you, one on why you're interested in them and your question(s). For questions, I usually just asked if they were accepting new students (a couple said they weren't — super helpful for my statements of purpose) and if they were planning on embarking on any new research projects. Do your research first so you can write knowledgeably about them and the program. I got responses to 95% of my emails like this (even at top-10 programs), and I had 0 connections to any of the professors I emailed. 

And yes, some will say otherwise, but I believe it's essential to email two or three professors at every program you apply to. It as much for writing an informed statement of purpose as anything, and it's an opportunity for early networking. Also, if you can't find at least two professors who you'd love to work with in a given program, you probably shouldn't apply for it. 

There are a TON of threads on the same topic on this forum. I'd recommend searching for them. 

Edited May 14, 2018 by manofthehoff

[iwearflowers]

This is a good way to get a better sense of the department and what they're looking for. It will also help you know whether your POIs are taking on new students and whether they are actually people you would work well with. (I spoke to one POI that I REALLY didn't click with over the phone, which ended up influencing my final decision.) An adjunct professor I work with advised me to keep things fairly short and make my "ask" very clear because professors get a lot of these types of emails.

I hate cold-calling people, so I did some research and put together a template of sorts based on examples I found online:

Dear Dr. [NAME],

I am applying to the [DEGREE] program in [SUBJECT] for [SEMESTER], and I wanted to reach out to introduce myself. [2-3 sentences about your background and experience. It doesn't need to be extensive, because you should also attach your resume.] [1 sentence about where you would like your research to go.] 

I recently read some of your work on . [Mention one or two of their recent articles and find a way to connect it to your interests or experience. You could ask a question or provide some analysis if you want. Again, KEEP IT BRIEF!]

 

I would love to discuss your research further by phone, videoconference, or email. (My information is in the attached CV and below.) I’d also love to work with you at [SCHOOL] if I am accepted.

 

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[PHONE]

 

Here is a fleshed-out example:

 

Dear Dr. [NAME],

I am applying to the PhD program in [program] for fall 2018, and I am interested in your work. I am currently a [job title] at [organization], a non-profit professional services firm specializing in social sciences research. My previous and current research experience includes [topics of previous work]. Over the course of my career, I hope to explore [brief statement of interests].

I am particularly interested in your work around opioid use in pregnant women. I am currently working on a project focused on expanding OUD treatment in rural areas of [state], where we’ve found that rural primary care providers are often not well educated about evidence-based treatments such as MAT or addiction treatment in general, despite the high levels of overdose deaths in that state. I wonder if you have done any work around provider knowledge and attitudes around substance use during pregnancy? I was quite shocked by the findings of your article in Women’s Health Issues that pregnant women who reported nonmedical opioid use were typically obtaining opioids from a physician, and I thought it seemed like a topic that needed exploration from the provider perspective.

I would love to discuss your research further, by phone, videoconference, or email. (My information is in the attached CV and in my signature below.) I’d also love to work with you at [school] if you’re taking graduate students for the coming year. Your CV suggests that you are currently advising several students, but I’m hoping you’ll have room for at least one more!

Sincerely,

 

I sent an initial email then followed up a week later if I didn't get a response with "Dear Dr. [NAME] - I just wanted to circle back on this in case it fell off your radar or initially went into a junk folder."

 

 

Edited May 15, 2018 by iwearflowers