Contacting professors at schools you are applying to

[beaverish]

Would it be a good idea to contact professors at graduate schools that you are applying to to, for instance, inquire about the grad program, their classes, or just generally to build a rapport? Is this a common practice or is it regarded as brown-nosing?

[Waves]

Would it be a good idea to contact professors at graduate schools that you are applying to to, for instance, inquire about the grad program, their classes, or just generally to build a rapport? Is this a common practice or is it regarded as brown-nosing?

Yes! Definitely contact them. It is not brown-nosing. It is exploring about the "fit." I contacted professors for this application season and had gotten great response. I met with them as well as the director of the program and got great feedback: "yes i would love to work with you," yes, ill help you with your application materials if you want." etc. having a pre-application interview will also set you apart from the other applicants who don't. it will show you're serious about it and that you're willing to invest in finding the right fit.

[jacib]

For professional programs, it's not required, though I am sure it wouldn't hurt. It would certainly help you find out about the school. I don't know how common or uncommon it is among MA students.

For Ph.D. programs, It's actually expected. At 80% of the schools I applied to (and probably an equal number at schools I didn't apply to), I contacted the professors in my potential department (and sometimes out of my department) who I wanted to work with. At the school I decided on going to, I didn't contact any of the professors, because one professor was so clearly a perfect match that I didn't think it was necessary because there are literally two or three people working on all three aspects of my topics (religion, politics and Turkey) in the entire country. Since she was one of them, I already knew we were a good match. I mentioned her several times in my statement of purpose. When she called me to tell me I was accepted to the program, she immediately scolded me for not contacting her first, and feigned being offended. She was like, "When I first saw your application, I thought, 'This boy is perfect for me... why hasn't he contacted me!'"

So yes, email them. Make sure they're taking on students still (one guy told me he was retiring in three years, another was going to be on leave for the first semester which might make a big difference if you're a masters student). You can ask about their current research, and what direction their research is going in. You can tell them a little bit about your project and ask if it would fit their research interests even if you're sure it would. Some people are weird, and are only interested in working with students who want to use certain methods regardless of topic, but are uninterested in dealing with someone working a topic that they've already done using a different method. Some people are only interested in working with people only on a very specific topic and are uninterested if your topic is even slightly different. Some people will work with everyone. (The last few things apply more towards Ph.D. students than professional students, I would imagine). Do not ask them any information that can easily be found on the website, such as what classes they teach. Direct questions about the graduate program in general to the department's director of graduate studies, or if you're trying to find out if you're a good fit for a certain program, you could talk to the director of graduate studies, the head of that particular sub-program, or someone within that sub-program who particularly fits your interests well for more information (for example, if you have questions on a development master's, asking the head of the whole masters program, the masters in development, or someone working specifically on development in Africa might all be good ideas depending on the nature of your question).

Would it be a good idea to contact professors at graduate schools that you are applying to to, for instance, inquire about the grad program, their classes, or just generally to build a rapport? Is this a common practice or is it regarded as brown-nosing?