Am I reading too much into professors' email responses?

[cg988]

Hello,

I am planning on applying to a political science Ph.D. and I contacted several professors from different universities in order to know if my interests would fit with those of the faculties. I made sure I personalized each email by mentioning the professors' publications I found inspiring. However, the responses I have received so far are relatively concise. All of them indicate that my topic is "fine" or "interesting", without any further indication. Should I worry about my dissertation topic? Should I expect professors to openly criticize my topic if they think it is bad or does not fit with the faculty's interests? Should I stop asking professors who are specialized in the field I want to study what they think about my dissertation topic? Or am I simply reading too much into their responses?

Thank you very much,

Christian

[Xarqin]

Professors are typically very busy people who receive scores of emails everyday. It's not unusual to get one-word or one-sentence replies. In fact, many may not even reply at all.

[kaykaykay]

you are reading too much into the emails. most people in political science will change their research topic during the graduate studies. in the US the professors do not take students because of their precise research topic, a committee decides. In your SOP of course you have to talk about what you are interested in -this tests whether you can identify an interesting topic and if you can express your interest clearly. But people will not really expect you to actually write your dissertation on that topic. You really cannot expect more than "that is fine" as a reply at this stage. What is more interesting to you is whether these people are going to stay in the places you are applying to and whether their rough interest is still aligned with yours.

[Strangefox]

Hello,

I am planning on applying to a political science Ph.D. and I contacted several professors from different universities in order to know if my interests would fit with those of the faculties. I made sure I personalized each email by mentioning the professors' publications I found inspiring. However, the responses I have received so far are relatively concise. All of them indicate that my topic is "fine" or "interesting", without any further indication. Should I worry about my dissertation topic? Should I expect professors to openly criticize my topic if they think it is bad or does not fit with the faculty's interests? Should I stop asking professors who are specialized in the field I want to study what they think about my dissertation topic? Or am I simply reading too much into their responses?

Thank you very much,

Christian

May be you can send all of them a follow-up email, asking if they would be interested to supervise you when you are working on these topic. You can explain that you know how important fit is when applying and how important it is to have somebody who could be your advisor. You can also ask if they will be taking grad students next year.

If they reply - "I could certainly work with you on this topic." - then that will definetely be a good reply and you will be able to mention contacting this prof and being encouraged by him to appy. That's how I put it in my SOP:

"... I am exсited about the opportunity to learn from DDDDD’s faculty members who explore different aspects of XXXXXXX and ZZZZZZZ, among them Professor WWWWW LLLLLLL and Professor OOOOO RRRR. After consultation with Professor LLLLLL I am convinced that my research will be a good fit at the DDDDDDDDD."

[Triple Tall Cappuccino]

Seeing how my own professors were in my MA, like everyone has said, they are very busy (and some unorganized) people. The fact that they politely replied is great! Don't lose hope!

[eco_env]

It sounds to me like your initial email is not direct enough. Do you ask them if they would consider serving as your advisor at that university? or something along those lines?

[natsteel]

I would suggest that you may be coming off a bit close-minded if you are telling POIs what your dissertation topic will be in an introductory email. They couldn't possibly really judge your "dissertation topic" from an email spiel. These kinds of emails aren't about getting feedback on your topic or interest in general but how it might relate to the POI's own interests.

I think it's better to say it more generally, e.g., "I am very much interested in _________________." Then mention how that fits with their own work. Begin your email by introducing yourself and tell them that you are considering applying to their program and wanted to inquire whether they were currently taking new students. Then mention your research interest.

Most importantly, keep it brief... one moderately-sized (4-5 sentences) paragraph. Any more will seem presumptuous on your part because they are indeed so busy.

Edited August 3, 2011 by natsteel

[Strangefox]

Most importantly, keep it brief... one moderately-sized (4-5 sentences) paragraph. Any more will seem presumptuous on your part because they are indeed so busy.

Well, that is one thing that is discipline specific, I guess. I sent quite a long emails to all profs last summer. It was not just: "I am interested in..." I outlined a project I had in my mind at that time. And though some details have changed since then, the basic idea remains, I am working on it and it will eventually become my dissertation. And I believe that what helped me to find a great fit is exactly that I described my ideas ...well, not at length, but not too briefly either

[natsteel]

Strangefox, I would be willing to concede that perhaps someone who is applying to a PhD program after completing an MA might be given more leeway in discussing a dissertation topic in that manner via email by a POI. But I don't think my advice is specific only to History, though it certainly may not be specific to all Humanities fields.

Every professor I have talked to has suggested the same thing to me, i.e., be as brief as possible in an initial email. If the professor responds positively, you then have an opening to discuss your interests or topics more fully.

From what I have been told by multiple professors, sending an overly long email implles that either a) you believe professors aren't busy and have time to read long, detailed emails from anyone considering applying to their program OR you believe you deserve more space and/or time than others to detail your ideas. The former suggests a lack of understanding of life in academia and the latter suggests entitlement.

I am not saying that these implications are correct. But that doesn't mean that professors don't see them that way. Why risk making a first impression of either being unknowledgeable or prone to entitlement issues? It's better to play it safe in the initial email. Besides, nothing you could say in the first email could not be said in a follow-up email after a positive response from the POI.

BTW - Answers to questions like this are always field-specific since none of us can speak from experience for any field but our own. Also, there are no answers to questions like this which would apply to all fields. That anyone's answers to questions about the application process are field-specific should be assumed by those asking, reading, and criticizing.

Edited August 4, 2011 by natsteel

[Strangefox]

Strangefox, I would be willing to concede that perhaps someone who is applying to a PhD program after completing an MA might be given more leeway in discussing a dissertation topic in that manner via email by a POI. But I don't think my advice is specific only to History, though it certainly may not be specific to all Humanities fields.

Every professor I have talked to has suggested the same thing to me, i.e., be as brief as possible in an initial email. If the professor responds positively, you then have an opening to discuss your interests or topics more fully.

From what I have been told by multiple professors, sending an overly long email implles that either a) you believe professors aren't busy and have time to read long, detailed emails from anyone considering applying to their program OR you believe you deserve more space and/or time than others to detail your ideas. The former suggests a lack of understanding of life in academia and the latter suggests entitlement.

I am not saying that these implications are correct. But that doesn't mean that professors don't see them that way. Why risk making a first impression of either being unknowledgeable or prone to entitlement issues? It's better to play it safe in the initial email. Besides, nothing you could say in the first email could not be said in a follow-up email after a positive response from the POI.

*Disclaimer: These thoughts may or may not be field-specific.

Hm, it's a difficult issue. But if you send a professor first a short email and then a long one, in the end they will have to spend more time reading them, won't they

I guess that when I decided to send long emails, my logic was as follows: in a short email I will not be able to express fully all my ideas. If I don't express my ideas fully, how will a professor know if my interests truly fit his/hers. If they don't know that, how can they reply positively or negatively or at all? I am ready to admit that this logic is not perfect. I could have expressed my ideas more consisely, I guess. But in the end it turned out fine. I have not received any negative replies. Some professors explained that their interests differ from mine. Some replied tersly. But many wrote long detailed emails and no one said anything among the lines of: "You presumptious little thing!" Though may be some thought this way

Seriously, I don't know. I am not saying that my way was the right way. But it surely led me to the right place

[Sigaba]

Entire post.

Christian--

I don't know if such is the case with political science, but with history, it is not too difficult to figure out to what degree one's research interests are in line with a specific department. Consider the possibility that your asking "Will I fit in" is sending a message that is contrary to your intent and is not an accurate reflection of your ability. Consider the possibility that you're unintentionally sending a message that says "I really didn't do my homework--will you do it for me?" (Suggestions for a quick and dirty approach: read the short book reviews the professors in a department have published, find out what types of dissertations newly minted Ph.Ds have completed, and find out the dissertation topics of the ABDs.)

Also, as noted above, what is a reasonable expectation for a response from a professor to an aspiring applicant's dissertation topic? Your queries may come across like a first year football coach saying what plays he will run in the Super Bowl when he hasn't even coached a pre season game. Your emails might resonate more if you showed that you were focused on more immediate goals (like completing what ever academic program you're currently attending, and getting admitted to grad school) and leaving your comments about your dissertation topic at an appropriate level of generalization.

In regards to the short email versus long email debate I ask: Are there ways to find a middle ground? And also, Does anyone write and mail letters any more?

Also, and this is just MOO, an applicant should think thrice before telling a professor that she has read their most recent works or that she found them inspiring. If you want to connect meaningfully with a potential mentor/committee member, please consider the value of demonstrating that you understand their work within the contexts of the topic at hand, the broader debates of the profession, and their career progression.

My $0.02.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Sigaba

[natsteel]

Hm, it's a difficult issue. But if you send a professor first a short email and then a long one, in the end they will have to spend more time reading them, won't they

I guess that when I decided to send long emails, my logic was as follows: in a short email I will not be able to express fully all my ideas. If I don't express my ideas fully, how will a professor know if my interests truly fit his/hers. If they don't know that, how can they reply positively or negatively or at all? I am ready to admit that this logic is not perfect. I could have expressed my ideas more consisely, I guess. But in the end it turned out fine. I have not received any negative replies. Some professors explained that their interests differ from mine. Some replied tersly. But many wrote long detailed emails and no one said anything among the lines of: "You presumptious little thing!" Though may be some thought this way

Seriously, I don't know. I am not saying that my way was the right way. But it surely led me to the right place

My apologies, Strangefox. I didn't mean to come off so stridently. I understand what you're saying. I know people have received positive replies after sending long emails and unfavorable replies after sending short emails. All of us can only pass on suggestions based on advice that we were either given by professors and/or our own personal experience.

I just happen to think that the intro email is not how the professor will determine fully whether your interests match their own. That will happen from reading your SOP and writing sample. The intro email is a way to get your name in front of them, give them a basic idea of who you are and what you do, and to make sure that they are taking new students in the first place.

My template basically looked like this:

Professor So-and-So,

My name is Xxxxx Xxxxxx and I am currently a senior at State University where I study under Prof. Xxxx Xxxxxx. I would like to inquire as to whether you are currently accepting new students. My senior thesis explores the xxxx of xxxxx in the XXth century. I am especially interested in xxxxxxx especially as it relates to your work on xxxxxx. Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

Xxxxxx Xxxxxx

I received favorable emails from every professor I contacted. Some were short replies, some unusually long. But all encouraged further contact and offered assistance. So my experience with a short intro email was pretty good. But, Strangefox and others had similar responses to longer emails.

In the end, it comes down to each applicant seeking advice to weigh the often conflicting advice they have been given and choose for themselves understanding that in most cases small details like these will not kill your application prospects.

Edited August 12, 2011 by natsteel

[Strangefox]

In the end, it comes down to each applicant seeking advice to weigh the often conflicting advice they have been given and choose for themselves understanding that in most cases small details like these will not kill your application prospects.

Exactly!