Contacting Professors After App Submission?

[yash13177]

Hello everyone!

I reached out to some professors before I submitted my apps but nowhere near the amount I wanted to. I want to email some faculty now in a "hey I applied and I want you to know because I mentioned you in my application... would love to chat about xxx" kind of way. 

My question is whether this is appropriate? Or will they view it as a nuisance because it's after the app deadline?

[PokePsych]

I wouldn't raise the 'would love to chat' thing now. If you had contact with them before, it may be worthwhile to notify them that you submitted your things (so they can request your file). 

[Teaching Faculty Wannabe]

On 12/3/2018 at 7:51 AM, yash13177 said:

My question is whether this is appropriate? Or will they view it as a nuisance because it's after the app deadline?

I am kind of in the same situation, but I didn't contact anyone before applying but I plan on contacting the professors that I mentioned in my SOPs. I don't think you should ask about chatting with them. I think they should initiate that. If they want to talk, they will ask, but you don't want to pressure them in something. I would say that you applied and you find their research interesting. Explain what you find interesting about it and if you read any of their papers. If you already contacted them, you can say that you applied. Good luck!

[troplop]

I've e-mailed about 10 professors this cycle, and have been received positively by all of them including several skype interviews. The proper way to approach this, in my opinion, is to prepare a highly specific one page cover letter and CV (only important details: 1 page - education, pubs, short presentation list) and e-mail it to them. A simple sentence "Hi, I feel like I may be a good fit for your lab and to that end have attached my CV to this e-mail. If you have a moment to review, I would love to discuss potential opportunities to join your lab!" was how most of mine were structured.

The key is brevity, they're probably really busy and don't have much time to deal with this, but can skim a one page letter and CV in a few minutes and may be interested. On the whole I think they're just looking to see that you're really interested in them. Every professor would much prefer to take a student who has prior interest and knowledge than just someone rotating through at random.