Emailing POI

[Timshel]

Okay, so a professor at one of the universities I am applying to research, to a T, in the area that I am interested in. However, she has recently become the department chair, and I have noticed that she has not taught a graduate class since then. I intend to apply to that school either way, but I would like to contact her to see if she was planning on taking anyone on or teaching any more grad classes in the near future. However, I'm just not sure how to word that. I don't want it to sound like I'm not going to apply there if she isn't, but I'm also curious because I don't know if I should mention her specifically in my statement of purpose and then the readers be like "well, too bad because you won't be able to work with her," and I'll look like a total idiot.

Any suggestions of what to say or how to word it?

[HaruNoKaze]

I did something like this for UT Austin. I emailed one of the professors that was teaching courses I would have loved to study as a graduate student, and asked about her role in the graduate department. The syllabi for the classes in the dept I'm interested in lists all the books assigned, so I asked her about her syllabus specifically and perhaps when she would be teaching these materials again, or what I could expect to see from her in the fall. So I brown-nosed a little bit by saying, "I've read this and really liked it" but pointed out "that novel I've never heard of, so I'd be interested in studying it" She ended up (several email correspondences later) explaining they only have one doctorate student right now due to funding, so I'd be admitted as an MA student with funding at best, without funding more likely.

All my faculty, grad and my old undergrad, have all advised me not to list any names in my statement of purpose. Instead they've advised me to say "this is what I'm interested in studying" as to not limit myself or seem like I only want to do one thing. They've told me faculty wants someone who is interested in learning and can be molded, not someone who already thinks they know everything. Lord knows I don't know much.

[Timshel]

Yeah, I've heard not to just be like "I want to work with X," but instead list examples of instructors/classes that the program offers that would work for you...I haven't decided how specific I want to be, but I really want to contact this person......

Also, that kind of info would be really beneficial to know, especially since I already have an MA.

And UT Austin only had one doctorate student? That seems weird....I know people there....

[HaruNoKaze]

I was emailing them about the Asian Culture and Language program, which is totally separate from English Lit. I'm applying for Rhet Comp and ACL, so I'm doing two applications, but apparently both departments will be able to see my writing samples. So I upload one writing sample for Rhet Comp, one for ACL, but b/c they are both available... it's almost like I'm submitting two samples. I hope this will work to my advantage, but I dunno. The samples are going to cover two totally different subjects obviously, but it will give them something else to read if they are really interested. Interesting things you find out when you ask

I'm the kind of person who will call anyone, email anyone, because I have nothing to lose. And so far it has worked to my advantage. I called University of Houston to ask for the application date for philosophy MA, 2012, b/c they haven't updated their website, and the graduate adv called me back. He then gave me the application date... and started asking me questions. When I did my BA in Phil, what undergrad I went to, where was I doing my MA now, my last name... and of course after some small talk he said he would be looking for my application this spring. Could he be blowing smoke up my butt? Sure. But at least he gave me some of his time, and I gave him mine.

I've had people from Princeton and UT English and ACL dept email me back answering questions in full, complete, wonderfully nice responses. Maybe I've just had good luck with this, I dunno, but I'm in a bad situation with my applications/current MA program, so I really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If, "I think I got an email from that applicant a few months ago, asking about x,y, and z" is going to get me remembered even a tiny bit over someone else, then I don't mind throwing myself out there. Worst case scenario they don't read my email or reply to it.

[Timshel]

I guess I could just tell her that I am familiar with her work, which is similar to mine, and I noticed that she hasn't taught any classes lately, and I was curious if she would be any time soon, or if she would still be working with students in the future? I don't know....I just don't want to word it wrong and give the wrong first impression.

[HaruNoKaze]

I would probably say something like,

"Dr. So&So,

I'm a current graduate student and am considering applying to X University where you are listed as a current faculty member. I am familiar with your work, and would like to take one of your classes if I have the opportunity. What I've seen online seems though that you haven't taught any classes in a couple of semesters, so I wanted to check and see if you were planning on teaching any classes in Fall 2012. Thanks!

Haru"

Short, sweet, and nothing the professor needs to feel like you're coming off aggressive or demanding. Besides, how do you know she's not taking some sabbatical while writing her next big work? I had two professors, the same semester, take sabbaticals to finish books. One was the dept chair, the other was a full time tenure faculty member who taught a wide range of required classes. Maybe she had a baby or something; professors often can take generous amounts of maternity leave, especially if they are well known and have clout in the academic community. Departments have to be accommodating. She could be dying to get back to work, and secretly find your email to warm her heart, because she knows students far and wide care about her and her work. It brings a tear to my eye.

Obviously I have a wide imagination, and am procrastinating writing my conference paper for the SAMLA...

[perrykm2]

Katherine Hayles?

[1Q84]

I guess I'll revive this thread instead of starting a new one. 

 

What are some good ways to make first contact with a POI (especially one that REALLY REALLY aligns with what you'd like to research)?  I sent out a bunch of these emails during my MA applications and got some snarky replies, probably because I asked some dumb questions so I'd really like to avoid that this time.

 

Any feedback is appreciated!

[ProfLorax]

Here's an email I used to make initial contact that sparked an excellent conversation. For background info: I did get into the program, though I don't think contacting a POI was a factor.

 

Professor [blank],

 

I am preparing to apply to [school name] for the PhD program in [degree name] for Fall 2013, so I thought I would introduce myself. I have a BA and MA in English from the California State University system. For the past two years, I have been teaching reading, developmental writing, freshman composition, and feminist theory at Monterey Peninsula College, a two-year college in California.

 

I love teaching at a community college because of the diversity and courage of my students. On the other hand, the hardest part about teaching at an underfunded public two-year institution is the lack of support for research. When I was a student, I focused on research and writing. As an educator, I am focused on teaching. I want to enter a world where both research and teaching are equally valued, where I no longer have to choose between the two. This is why I will be applying to the [school] for the PhD program in [degree name]. Furthermore, I am especially excited about the possibility of working with you because of our similar interests. As an educator and a feminist scholar, I am constantly questioning how to bridge feminist theory and practice in the classroom. Also, I am interested in analyzing the rhetoric of gender, sexuality, and ability outside of the academy, so your research in [blah blah] is particularly exciting to me.

 

I was curious about how my interests would fit into [name] program. Would it be possible for me to call you during your office hours in the next few weeks? If that is possible, please let me know a convenient time to call you.

 

Thank you for your time!

 

Best,

 

Lorax

Edited September 16, 2014 by proflorax

[jhefflol]

I did something similar to what proflorax has done. Since my interests are transatlantic, not every program can accommodate such a project. Some programs want students to be interested in American or British lit, not both. I've been formulating my emails with that in mind, and I've been asking professors if they think my project would be welcomed in that program. So far I have not found a professor whose research interests line up with mine, so I'm just testing the waters to see how my project might be taken. 

Good luck to you!

[Dr. Old Bill]

Yeah, ProfLorax's template is quite similar to what I have done too. Sometimes they respond quickly, sometimes they take awhile and give you a terse response, and sometimes they don't respond at all. Don't take it to heart either way.

[Dr. Old Bill]

Just an afterthought but...despite what I posted a few days ago, it occurred to me that when POIs don't respond, I don't take it to heart, like I said...but I can't deny that it does affect my plans for applying to a particular program. I usually contact a POI if there's a program I'm on the fence about. If they don't respond at all, then I'm more likely to NOT apply than apply. The opposite is true as well. I've had one extremely helpful POI keep in regular contact with me after I emailed him about his school's program (which I was on the fence about). His response is what compelled me to apply. Two other POIs never got back to me, and since my interest in the program is largely because of those POIs, I figure that if my email (which outlined my research interests) didn't compel them enough to reply, then it's probably not worth the time and money to apply. All of this being said, I recognize that professors get busy and don't always respond at the best of times. Nonetheless, when five or six years of my life is largely dependent on their attention, an early non-response is a decent litmus test, in my opinion.

[surlefil]

Great thread... I have a question. It's clear that writing to know if professor X is going to teach classes or take on students when you enter is a good reason to write to a POI. But suppose you are interested in the department in general and you just would like to write to one professor to know if s/he thinks you're a good fit, would that be alright?

[Dr. Old Bill]

It depends, really. In my letter to the POI I mentioned above (the super helpful one), I basically said (much more formally than this): you've got research interests that closely match my own, and I'd love working with you personally, but how is the rest of the department in relation to our mutual interests, and would they be amenable to my research objectives etc. I won't get into detail about how he has been helpful, but suffice it to say that his response (which included suggestions for other programs) was positive enough for me to apply to the program without hesitation.

 

Generally speaking, I prefer to contact graduate students instead of POIs for questions about the department etc. If you have specific questions that only a POI can answer, then go ahead and email that person. In the instances that I've contacted POIs instead of grad students, it's either been because there are no current grad students doing any work in the ballpark of my interests, or because the POI seems to be the only person in the department doing the kind of research I'm interested in.

 

This is just my perspective, however. There are lots of old threads here where posters have expressed different levels of "success" when contacting POIs. If I wind up getting into the program with the super helpful POI I mention above, I suspect it will have had a lot to do with his involvement...but one never really knows.

 

 

Great thread... I have a question. It's clear that writing to know if professor X is going to teach classes or take on students when you enter is a good reason to write to a POI. But suppose you are interested in the department in general and you just would like to write to one professor to know if s/he thinks you're a good fit, would that be alright?

[1Q84]

Thanks for the feedback, all! I emailed a slew of professors on Monday using a modification of proflorax's template. Haven't heard back from anyone... this is normal right? As you can tell, I'm slipping right back into that neurotic applying to grad schools mode again...

[Dr. Old Bill]

Considering that even my letter writers don't get back to my emails right away (if at all), and they are major advocates of mine...then yes, I think it's to be expected that potential POIs don't respond quickly (or at all) either. It's unfortunate, but it's just not something you can really take to heart unless the program is on the fence for you (as I outlined earlier).

 

It's hard to say at this juncture, but I suspect I'll be a lot more on-the-ball when it comes to getting back to people...but then again, I was a teenager at the dawn of the Internet age, so email has always been my favorite method of communication. For a lot of older professors, emails are tedious, annoying, and occasionally even threatening...

 

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, all! I emailed a slew of professors on Monday using a modification of proflorax's template. Haven't heard back from anyone... this is normal right? As you can tell, I'm slipping right back into that neurotic applying to grad schools mode again...

[1Q84]

Considering that even my letter writers don't get back to my emails right away (if at all), and they are major advocates of mine...then yes, I think it's to be expected that potential POIs don't respond quickly (or at all) either. It's unfortunate, but it's just not something you can really take to heart unless the program is on the fence for you (as I outlined earlier).

 

It's hard to say at this juncture, but I suspect I'll be a lot more on-the-ball when it comes to getting back to people...but then again, I was a teenager at the dawn of the Internet age, so email has always been my favorite method of communication. For a lot of older professors, emails are tedious, annoying, and occasionally even threatening...

 

Hmmm I can see the logic in this but I feel like that's a bit severe for my application strategy, to cut out programs if they don't reply. Here's hoping they do soon...

[Dr. Old Bill]

Hmmm I can see the logic in this but I feel like that's a bit severe for my application strategy, to cut out programs if they don't reply. Here's hoping they do soon...

 

Yes, for me, the two POI I contacted who didn't reply are basically the only POIs at  given programs in my proposed specialization, meaning that I was on the fence about them in the first place (especially considering I've already got 12 of 15 definite applications done). As with most things in this process, it's subjective (now that I think about it almost everything in this process is subjective).

Edited September 26, 2014 by Wyatt's Torch

[ProfLorax]

Thanks for the feedback, all! I emailed a slew of professors on Monday using a modification of proflorax's template. Haven't heard back from anyone... this is normal right? As you can tell, I'm slipping right back into that neurotic applying to grad schools mode again...

It's definitely normal! A few things to consider: right now, you just aren't their priority. But this is a good thing! Their current students are their priority, and once you are a current student, you'll have similar access to them. 

 

Or they just suck at email. One of my advisors is a fantastic advisor. He's open and kind and provides fantastic feedback, but man, he sucks at replying to emails. But I know this, so I just understand that I have to email him twice before getting a response (something I wouldn't suggest to applicants). This is the kind of insider information you as an applicant aren't privy to. 

 

In conclusion, a delayed reply is nothing to sweat! You just don't know the email habits of these professors. 

[1Q84]

I seem to be having a lot of anxiety with this particular aspect of applications.

 

One professor was very warm in his reply, encouraged me to apply and asked that I send him samples of my work and a CV. Is this normal? 

[Dr. Old Bill]

I seem to be having a lot of anxiety with this particular aspect of applications.

 

One professor was very warm in his reply, encouraged me to apply and asked that I send him samples of my work and a CV. Is this normal? 

 

Very.

 

One of my letter-writers wanted my WS and SOP. Two wanted just my SOP. One wanted neither. Samples of work is par for the course, I think. C.V. might be a little more unusual, but one of the rarely-mentioned aspects of the application is indeed the C.V. -- most applications want a C.V. or resume in addition to the other, more familiar, elements.

[hypervodka]

I seem to be having a lot of anxiety with this particular aspect of applications.

 

One professor was very warm in his reply, encouraged me to apply and asked that I send him samples of my work and a CV. Is this normal? 

 

For what it's worth, the only POI I've contacted so far has done the same to me. Not the CV, but the writing sample.

[1Q84]

Very.

 

One of my letter-writers wanted my WS and SOP. Two wanted just my SOP. One wanted neither. Samples of work is par for the course, I think. C.V. might be a little more unusual, but one of the rarely-mentioned aspects of the application is indeed the C.V. -- most applications want a C.V. or resume in addition to the other, more familiar, elements.

 

They wanted your SOP? That sounds kinda strange... are they on the adcomm? They want to look at it in advance? Or they aren't and want to offer feedback on it?

 

For what it's worth, the only POI I've contacted so far has done the same to me. Not the CV, but the writing sample.

 

Good to know! Do you know if that POI is on the adcomm?

[ginagirl]

They wanted your SOP? That sounds kinda strange... are they on the adcomm? They want to look at it in advance? Or they aren't and want to offer feedback on it?

 

 

Good to know! Do you know if that POI is on the adcomm?

 Wyatt's Torch seems to be referring to LOR writers.. not POIs

[xolo]

Contacting POIs seems to be an emotional topic.  I tend not to contact POIs unless I have a good reason to.  I have, however, had some really good conversations with high ranking professors who could be my advisors - those were achieved through unique ways, almost by chance.   So my point is that this is a subjective area and the general answer, like many answers in life, is "it depends".  The university systems is from medieval times and I guess it shows, although I see a lot of benefit in this direct one-on-one as well.

Edited November 11, 2014 by eyepod