Contacting Professors

[jcbirc06]

I am planning on applying for schools focused on political economy of development this fall and was advised by several professors to contact professors at the schools I was looking at who did research in my interest. Is this a good idea? and what should i be saying? Should I say I am introducing myself and that I am interested in working with them or do I need to be more subtle and just ask questions about their department and the school? I am looking at Princeton, MIT, Washington, Brown, BU, NYU, Cornell, JHU. Any others I should look at?

[The Realist]

I would advise you against this. Unless you have a specific question I'm not sure what you could gain by contacting one of us. We don't have the time, nor the inclination, to chit chat.

If your file is strong, you will get a good look. If you file is weak, a phone call or an email will not help.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

[adaptations]

I would advise you against this. Unless you have a specific question I'm not sure what you could gain by contacting one of us. We don't have the time, nor the inclination, to chit chat.

If your file is strong, you will get a good look. If you file is weak, a phone call or an email will not help.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

I tend to agree with the previous post. Faculty are so busy that even if they do manage to respond, they aren't likely to remember you months down the road. If you need to know something that is important to applying or your research, go ahead and ask, but I wouldn't contact a bunch of professors just for the sake of getting on their radar or trying to help your chances of admission.

[tskinner]

OP: I got the same advice from MANY people (professors or otherwise), and I never felt comfortable doing it. To me, it would have been way too contrived, and I think the professors would have seen right through the lame attempt to curry favor. First , they're way to busy to be responding to you, and second, the chance that they're even on the adcomm is pretty low. Unless you have a legitimate question that the grad coordinator cannot answer for you, don't bother.

[slacktivist]

OP: I got the same advice from MANY people (professors or otherwise), and I never felt comfortable doing it. To me, it would have been way too contrived, and I think the professors would have seen right through the lame attempt to curry favor. First , they're way to busy to be responding to you, and second, the chance that they're even on the adcomm is pretty low. Unless you have a legitimate question that the grad coordinator cannot answer for you, don't bother.

I'd like to extend this to a broader inquiry about networking. Is it advisable for undergraduate professors to use any contacts they may have at your prospective graduate schools to raise your profile or set up a meeting?

[Penelope Higgins]

Most of the work your undergrad professor or letter writer can do is in the letter itself. I will take more seriously a letter from someone I know and respect in evaluating a candidate. At times I get contacted (usually by email) by an old friend about a student, but this isn't common. Think about it like this: where you go to school is a very high stakes issue for you, but for the faculty who will supervise you this is just an administrative decision in which most of us are reluctant to participate. Even if someone contacts me, it won't do much if I'm not on the admissions committee. And if I am, it may not matter how great my friend says the student is if my colleagues on the committee have other priorities.

The long and short is this: make your file the best you can. Make your letters as strong as possible. And the rest is completely out of your hands.

I'd like to extend this to a broader inquiry about networking. Is it advisable for undergraduate professors to use any contacts they may have at your prospective graduate schools to raise your profile or set up a meeting?

[Mr. Wonton]

 I've always heard that a legitimate question you can (and perhaps should?) ask is whether the professors you're interested in are taking students. If, for some unfortunate reason, none of your three favorite potential advisors are taking new students from your cohort, it doesn't make sense to apply, so you can cross that school off your list. 

Edited August 20, 2010 by Mr. Wonton

[tskinner]

 I've always heard that a legitimate question you can (and perhaps should?) ask is whether the professors you're interested in are taking students. If, for some unfortunate reason, none of your three favorite potential advisors are taking new students from your cohort, it doesn't make sense to apply, so you can cross that school off your list. 

Yeah... I always caution people against picking a program for a certain scholar. There are so many things that can affect this that it really doesn't make much sense. For example, they may say they want to take a student, but then they get some huge research grant and are not able to. Or they get a HUGE outside offer and leave the program a year after you get there. Or their research path changes. Or, more likely (rather inevitable), your research path changes.

I stress overall atmospheric and departmental fit over whether or not there is one person you want to work for with.

Also, I still never felt comfortable asking if they're taking students, because then I felt like it would be presumptuous of me to assume that if they're taking students that they're going to want me. I'd really like some actual professors' advice on this.

Edited August 20, 2010 by tskinner

[Penelope Higgins]

In political science, most faculty-student relationships are not so formal or intense: your funding does not come from the faculty member, and you're not working in their lab on their research for your PhD. So individual faculty don't decide to take students in the same way as in the sciences. So I would not worry about this if you're applying in political science.

 I've always heard that a legitimate question you can (and perhaps should?) ask is whether the professors you're interested in are taking students. If, for some unfortunate reason, none of your three favorite potential advisors are taking new students from your cohort, it doesn't make sense to apply, so you can cross that school off your list. 

[mrmirv]

In political science, most faculty-student relationships are not so formal or intense: your funding does not come from the faculty member, and you're not working in their lab on their research for your PhD. So individual faculty don't decide to take students in the same way as in the sciences. So I would not worry about this if you're applying in political science.

Penelope,

Something I wanted to explain. Many of us undergrads are told to contact professors we may wish to work with from official "get into grad school" books. I know it sounds lame, but there is not the best advice out there on the protocols on how to gain an edge in the application process. I guess the bottom line is have a good file and you will get looked at.

Can i ask a different question Penelope? How much is weighed on the school you went to? Also, what about if a student has an extended break in their education? Sorry to ask but we don't get a lot of actual faculty on these boards and your knowledge is EXTREMELY VALUABLE. Thank you!

[IRmiester666]

I am planning on applying for schools focused on political economy of development this fall and was advised by several professors to contact professors at the schools I was looking at who did research in my interest. Is this a good idea? and what should i be saying? Should I say I am introducing myself and that I am interested in working with them or do I need to be more subtle and just ask questions about their department and the school? I am looking at Princeton, MIT, Washington, Brown, BU, NYU, Cornell, JHU. Any others I should look at?

Your choice of schools seems strange to me. You have a mix of quant-heavy programs with traditionally qual schools thrown on your list. If you're interested in PE, you'll be better off targeting quant schools as that is where the lit resides.

[jcbirc06]

Your choice of schools seems strange to me. You have a mix of quant-heavy programs with traditionally qual schools thrown on your list. If you're interested in PE, you'll be better off targeting quant schools as that is where the lit resides.

Well what would you recommend then? I am trying to mix in some lower ranked programs that I have a better shot at along with some of the top.