Contacting POIs

[kbirch]

I completely agree with sciencegirl on fit... I feel like I fit with so many programs, because it's hard to find a school that doesn't have immigration and gender people. I think fit can be more broad than having exactly the same opinions and ideas.

However, I haven't gotten in anywhere yet, so soon I'll see if that's a naive belief.

[sleepycat]

As one who does Qualitative, religion/culture, and technology/media studies, plus a slightly more public/activist bent to my research, I found it tough to find programs that have overlap of the four, but of those three I have found I have applied. I usually have to apply to big programs because religion and technology are up and coming subfields and aren't as common as immigration and gender. I have applied to two great fits and one good/great fit.

I think fit is tough to figure out on our end because we have no clue on what the criteria is for the specific POIs are looking for or why we were rejected in the first place. I am sure it is tough to get the POI to admit that criteria to us and I wish there was more transparency on decisions considering we drive ourselves nuts during this process. I have a feeling we will understand that process once we are all on adcomms if we teach at universities.

[MashaMashaMasha]

I contacted 3 POIs at my program, all of whom responded. I exchanged emails similar to the template above. I met face to face with two of the three, and asked them about the program and what the department values in terms of research interests (I.e. domestic or international focus, quantitative methods). I spoke a little about my research interests and background, but mostly focused on the program.

I have to echo a previous post in saying that I don't think that just contacting POIs really matters for admissions - it is much more important to demonstrate an understanding of the program, and a strong interest in attending, imo, regardless of whether that happens in person or on paper.

I also think jenjenjen is right that if you have anything lacking on paper, you need to make that up somehow, and contacting POIs is one way to do that.