I need some advise about networking. Please help me.

[xzjohn]

Got rejected by Northwestern BME PhD program about a month ago and plan to re-apply for fall 2009.

I went through all the faculties profile in the department and found only one professor matches my background (perfectly), with another somewhat distantly related to my current research project. I'll get my M.S in BME in a couple of months. GPA is 3.83. Several peer-reviewed journal articles, some as 1st author while some as co-author. Have already and will present original research at national conferences. I suspect I was wait listed at first but finally got rejected, probably 'cuz that professor found a current NU student to join his lab.I know an endorsement from a faculty is critical during admission process because he/she would be my research advisor after the first couple of terms and support me financially from the 2nd year.

So, anybody knows how to build a network with him? Like, make an arrangement for a campus visit and have a individual talk with him? BMES national fall meeting is in Oct. How can I take advantage of this chance?

Any comment or suggestions are of great help. I reeeeeeeeally need your input. Thanks a lot.

[crustaceangirl]

Had you communicated with this professor before about whether or not he was taking new students? If you put all your eggs into one prof's basket you are taking a risk as to whether that person will get grant funding, plan for retirement, plan to move to another institution... If he found a current NU student to join the lab, that doesn't mean he wouldn't have space for another student who is less advanced in their graduate career (most profs don't want all their students to join/leave at the same time). If you want to work with this guy, establish email contact, try to find him and talk about work at your conference, try to make contact with his current students (go to their poster sessions?). If he doesn't have room for you, though, you may be out of luck. If your heart is set on NU, try to get in touch with the other, less of a perfect fit prof, too. Even if you don't end up working for that one, he or she can help you get admitted to NU.

[xzjohn]

Had you communicated with this professor before about whether or not he was taking new students? If you put all your eggs into one prof's basket you are taking a risk as to whether that person will get grant funding, plan for retirement, plan to move to another institution... If he found a current NU student to join the lab, that doesn't mean he wouldn't have space for another student who is less advanced in their graduate career (most profs don't want all their students to join/leave at the same time). If you want to work with this guy, establish email contact, try to find him and talk about work at your conference, try to make contact with his current students (go to their poster sessions?). If he doesn't have room for you, though, you may be out of luck. If your heart is set on NU, try to get in touch with the other, less of a perfect fit prof, too. Even if you don't end up working for that one, he or she can help you get admitted to NU.

thanks a lot for you suggestions.

My research has a pretty interdisciplinary nature and MSE/ME/ChemE may also be a good fit. But, NU grad school only allows applicant to submit one application per year. So, I can't apply to more than one at the same time.

If the professor in BME doesn't work for me, probably I'll try to find a slot in other departments.