Cold Contacting POIs

[redleaf]

Any advice on cold contacting POI's via email? Should it include a length explanation of my intended studies or more short and sweet and commenting on their publications etc.? Any tips on best ways to get a response much appreciated

[mandarin.orange]

Make sure your subject heading is straight and to-the-point, e.g. "Interested in Graduate Study"

Ask if they are taking students for the app year you're interested in. Mention your relevant background, and how it would be a good match with continuing that prof's work. The idea is to display that you're familiar with their interests, but you don't have to quote specific works or anything like that. Kind of treat the email like a mini- cover letter.

There's varying opinions here on attaching your CV or not. I attached a .pdf version of mine, which really helped (my now-advisor looked at it right away and later told me it impelled him to respond). But others have commented that some university servers might automatically junk or spam an incoming email with an attachment, so the prof would never have even seen the email.

Don't take it personally if you don't hear back, or get lukewarm response. Cast your net wide so you don't get too fixated on one possibility. Profs may not have funding lined up, or have an impending sabbatical, or 8 other (maybe more qualified) candidates they are talking to, or engaged in negotiations/arguments with their peers as to who gets how many students next year, or just be really, really bad at keeping up with email. Also, I know of two cases where faculty webpages were woefully out of date, reflecting a prof as seemingly active in research when he really wasn't, and another where applications kept coming in tailored to one particular prof who was known internally to be a horrible advisor. If anything seems really "off" about someone's response, or you get none, seriously reconsider applying there.

Also, check out this - a science professor's blog post about her perspective on cold contact emails, and what she responds most favorably to. Aim to be a "Type 3," and you've already got an edge.

Writing To Me

[redleaf]

Thank you so much for taking the time to add this advice, it is much appreciated and the professor blog in invaluable. Should contact only be made with one professors from each university or is it common to contact several in a department? (provided you would be an asset to their research). Also what do you feel is the best time of year to contact - is October too late?

[mandarin.orange]

...is it common to contact several in a department?

I don't know if this is common or not; that would depend on your field. Also, while my dept. prefers candidates that match with several different profs' interests (they don't want anyone super-specialized), we typically identified one primary advisor we wanted from the start, thus sending only one email.

My only advice would be that if you do contact a swath of profs at one school, remember they will be talking to each other as they evaluate applications in meetings, so frame your queries and SOP accordingly. At this website - an amazing resource in its own rite -you can download an example of an SOP where I think she (rather smartly) makes it clear that she's very familiar with the work of several different profs and has been communicating with them.

I wouldn't think October is "too late," but the earlier you can, the better. That gives you time to re-send if you don't get a response right away, correspond a little bit, and really evaluate if it's for you. Also the # of inquiry emails these profs get seems to increase as the deadline approaches. I didn't contact my now-advisor until early November. I also (ashamed to admit) sent out a hasty email to one prof mid-December, mere days before that school's app due date. I didn't hear back from that one.

[TMP]

It wouldn't be a problem to cold-contact. Just be smart about it- be courteous and respectful in your e-mail. Show that you have done your homework on them.

I'd say anything less than 3 weeks before the deadline is getting a little too late. So you have plenty of time!

[runaway]

What about contacting professors outside your department? ie, "I'm not qualified to apply within your department, but my work is hugely informed by yours. If I attend your school will I have any opportunities to work with you/have you on my committee/worship at your feet/etc.?" There are a couple POI like this I'm hesitant to contact, but would like to.

[TMP]

Not worth your time until you've made contact with the POI. You can certainly bring up other faculty members around the university once in conversation, so that the POI knows that s/he has support outside of the department, not just within. You want to be in touch with people who are closest to the admissions committee.