Any other ways to network beside e-mail?

[xzjohn]

Hey, there:

I do need some "novel" approach as to networking with future advisor. I've tried to have a talk with professors in person during a national conference or communicate thru e-mails. But, it doesn't look to me very effective. Many professors do not reply to e-mails even though I'm sure they've read it. Even a talk in person doesn't secure a position for me.

So, any better ideas?

Thanks.

[luvalicious]

Not very novel, but... phone call? snail mail?

Although frankly, if they've read your emails (I'm presuming more than one - aka your initial email and then a followup) and they haven't replied, they either aren't interested in you, or are really busy and don't have time for you... both of which suggest that this is not the advisor for you/your work. As a side note -- several people I know in humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences didn't have a particular faculty contact in hand when they entered a program. If having an advisor is necessary for you gain admittance (I don't know where you are in the process, sorry) then that's a slightly different story. And if you are still in school, perhaps you should ask your current professors/advisors for their advise on how you might raise your profile.

[beegee529]

I would not take a lack of a response to your email as a sign that they are not interested in you. Personally I never got a response from my potential advisor at Columbia. I filed an application, but figured there was little chance that I would get in given that I never heard back. I ended up getting an interview at which my potential advisor seemed particularly interested in me over the other applicants for his lab and I ultimately got accepted. Professors get SO many emails that I think a lot of times they end up forgetting to respond to an email if they don't respond as soon as they read it. The professor at Columbia even mentioned the email when I got the interview and didn't seem to realize that he had never responded to me.

[xzjohn]

Thanks you guys.

Basically, I think the professors at NU are not so interested in me for the story below. I need to change this.

I applied to Northwestern for admission this fall and got rejected after being on the waiting list for a while. Not quite sure what exact reason(s) kicked me out but suspect it was due to the lack of an endorsement from a "future adviser". The structure of the program at NU is that the department recruits students thru fellowships and the student selects an adviser in the first two quarters (NU uses a quarter system) and will not be supported by the advisor's funding till the end of the 1st year.

So, if I were in the professor's shoes, I'd wonder "why have I to make a commitment to a future student who won't consume my funding money within 2 years? " And, from my experience, the professor is unable to have an idea about his funding situation beyond 1.5 year or more unless he's a big guy who enjoys unlimited funding.

I networked with a professor from NU by having a talk with him in person. He said he read my e-mails before and then asked about my research background. I have to admit his research is sorta distanced from my current projects and so he didn't show much interest, if any. He explicitly said the funding is quite flat these years and unlikely to better in the next few year, either.

On the contrary, a professor from another univ. encouraged me to keep him posted and do reply to my e-mails every time. To be honest, this professor is much more established and famous than the professors at NU I tried to network. I think he should be more busy to take care of networking e-mails from guys like me, hypothetically. But, he does show an interest in me.