Too late to contact professors?

[Joesh]

I too am playing the waiting game right now and I keep thinking that I could have and/or should do more to try to boost the quality of my application. I've already applied to 4 schools that had deadlines a week ago. Is it bad form to contact professors now that I mentioned I would like to work with on my SOP? If so what would I say? I have heard that touching base with professors can increase your chance of funding, and I only contacted a professor from 2 of the 4 schools I applied to before I submitted my application, I'm wondering if it is too late now.

[Strangefox]

I too am playing the waiting game right now and I keep thinking that I could have and/or should do more to try to boost the quality of my application. I've already applied to 4 schools that had deadlines a week ago. Is it bad form to contact professors now that I mentioned I would like to work with on my SOP? If so what would I say? I have heard that touching base with professors can increase your chance of funding, and I only contacted a professor from 2 of the 4 schools I applied to before I submitted my application, I'm wondering if it is too late now.

If you have not contacted professors before you applied, now it's too late.

While contacting professors with whom you have already been in touch can be fine (though it's an open question and I am personally against that), writing to a professor whom you have NOT contacted before is an absolute no.

That will look really really desperate.

[Eigen]

For prof's you've already chatted with, I'd say it depends on how you contact them.

E-mailing them to talk about their research, see if they'll be at some conference, ask for some recommendations for good articles in an area... All of these are fine, imo. Contacting them to talk about yourself or your admission, not so much.

[Bison_PhD]

Yeah, so evidently in my anxiety I may have broken that unwritten rule, but it is too late now. That does explain why most have not responded, I guess I do sound desperate.

Edited January 13, 2011 by Bison