Contacting Potential Advisors Before Applying

[news2yous]

I am interested in applying for a Political Science/International Relations PhD program this fall and I've been going through hundreds (literally) of faculty profiles to see where I would be a good fit based on my research interests. I have and I was hoping that hearing from a potential advisor could help inform my application preparation and decisions. It would also be nice if I knew before applying that at least one professor is interested in my research interests and would like to take me on as an advisor, which I hear is really the deciding factor in acceptances.

However, I have heard mixed things about contacting professors before applying. Someone told me that they might find it useless or even annoying, while others said that they could be a good source of advice and may even root for me when I apply. I have seen it said on this site that contacting them is recommendable if not necessary, but it wasn't clear if that meant before applying or while applying. And a few people have said that it was inadvisable since it could be a double-edged sword - they might express little to no interest, and then my application could be hurt or doomed by their pre-application dismissal.

I have a few professors at a few of universities I would be interested in working with - should I contact them and ask them for advice (as I did in the post linked above)? Should I contact them just to see if they'd be interested in advising me? Should I avoid contacting them at all and just ask department offices about applying? (They usually give very vague answers.)

I've searched around the forum but I mainly saw advice on contacting them after applying, so sorry if this has been discussed before. Thank you in advance; any and all advice would be appreciated.

[Andsowego]

It's highly recommended that you DO contact potential advisors ahead of time. I've never heard anything contrary to this. In fact, it's my understanding that most universities actively encourage applicants to do this. My university even asked me to name potential supervisors on my research plan of study that I had been in contact with, and had agreed to work with me. Without that prior connection, I doubt my application would have been given a second look.

Keep in mind, that contacting someone out of the blue is a lot harder for you than it will be for them. Professors are used to receiving phone calls and e-mails from potential students. My current supervisor once told me that she receives anywhere from 10-25 calls or e-mails per week from potential students during the months immediately leading up to application deadlines. The bottom line to consider, is what's the worst that can happen? They don't respond!

eta: I also thought I should add, that as a strategy for narrowing down potential advisors, you should find out if the department you're applying to lists their current PhD students somewhere on their website. There are likely other students already working in your area of interest, and you may be able to see who each student is being supervised by (my department does this, and it was very helpful for me when I was applying).

Edited February 12, 2012 by Andsowego

[contiguous]

My undergraduate advisor, who is the director of graduate studies at my department, recommended that I email POIs to try to set up a time to chat on the phone. I did email some POIs at various schools, though never made it to a phone call. Some didn't response, some were curt, a few were interested in my research.

That said, I received my first acceptance via an email from a POI, who referenced our earlier correspondence so it definitely didn't hurt there!

[surefire]

I would echo the above advice (yes, contact), with one caveat: HOW you execute communication will affect the utility of the responses you get (and what, if any, type of reputation/connections you begin to cultivate).

I'm not the first one to post this, but I always find it helpful:

http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2007/12/writing-to-me.html

Good luck!

[news2yous]

Thanks everyone, this is good info!

The letter in that last link is exactly the type of letter I'm planning to send.

I'm going to go through a batch of professors - could anyone look it over for me if I PM it? I'm a little nervous since I know that having professors root for you makes all the difference in acceptances, and these are some great professors that I really want to work with.

[CageFree]

It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't guarantee anything. I've gotten four responses so far. My first (and only, so far) acceptance came a week and a half after the application was submitted, from the POI that I had corresponded with. The next three answers were rejections... sent by email/website. I had spoken on the phone to a POI in each school.

I doubt that my emails/phone calls were a major factor in my rejections, but I know the emails were one factor in my acceptance. That school hasn't sent most of their acceptances yet.

Hope that makes sense.

[foucaultmania]

I have already contacted my potential supervisor. I indicated my interests and I discussed a small issue with him since I know very well one of his books. Then, I declared my potential phd project and he really liked it. Finally, he said that he will look for my application folder in the committee. Let's see what will happen...