contacting faculty of interest- too early?

[mo mo]

I am very interested in one particular program that suggests I contact "one or more faculty of interest" before submitting my application materials. Things aren't due until December, but I have already found at least one guy whose research sounds super interesting to me. Is it too early to contact him? Would it be more tactful/timely to wait until the fall so that he will remember me? Or is better earlier? And what do I say?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

[rising_star]

Do it a few weeks after classes there have started.

[ktel]

You could also argue that it might be better to contact them now, before school gets really busy. I find a lot of the profs at my school are on vacation or travelling for work now though, so it obviously could not be a good time. Ultimately it's kind of a crapshoot what would be the best time for the specific professor you're contacting.

[CitizenHobbes]

Yeah, it never hurts to start contacting them at the end of August. They're just starting to get back into the swing of things (i.e., checking email regularly) but not yet inundated with all of the work and demands that a fall semester entails. They'll read and respond when they're free, at any rate.

[eisoj5]

I just started contacting professors this week myself, with responses coming almost immediately. They are complicating the picture immensely with additional suggestions, but it's nice to have options! (Sort of.)

Edited August 23, 2011 by eisoj5

[CitizenHobbes]

I just started contacting professors this week myself, with responses coming almost immediately. They are complicating the picture immensely with additional suggestions, but it's nice to have options! (Sort of.)

I had that happen too. Just remember that, because you're only in electronic contact, they won't know what advice you do (or don't) follow. A lot of it is good advice, some of it bad, and some you can't use at all (e.g., sometimes it's not feasible to visit a school on the other side of the country).

Also, try getting in touch with some of the graduate students in your field at the schools as well! They tend to be more open to giving advice, if a bit more harsh, depending on who you talk to.

[gellert]

I've been told now by three separate tenured professors that right now is the best time, before classes get too busy. So get to it and good luck!

[tweeter]

I found the opposite. Now doesn't seem to be a good time. I tried contacting two professors this month, only to be hit back with auto responses that say they are out until fall classes start. It's been a couple weeks too and they haven't answered back. I'm betting they do check their email, but are only responding to urgent messages. Or maybe I'm annoying and they're ignoring me

It probably depends if the person you contact is employed year round or not.

[gellert]

^Actually, it probably depends on when that school's classes start. For example, my UG school's classes started yesterday, so right now IS perfect for those professors. Look up when classes start at the school in question and email the professors then (or now, if it's now).

[theadvancededit]

It's also important to find out as early as possible whether that professor is easy to get in contact with, if at all. It would be a disaster if you waited even a week or so later to find out that the professor is, um... incommunicado most of the time.