Contacting professors

[HermoineG]

Hey guys,

 

I would be applying for Fall 2014. Could you please tell me when to start contacting professors and how to approach them first? Do I write my doubts in the first mail itself or should I ask them if they can solve my doubts?

 

 I am confused and this is the first time I will be attending any school in the US. So I really don't know how this works here.

[PsychGirl1]

First, define doubts... nothing resembling a "doubt" should be in the email .

 

Second, I contacted mine in July because that's when I had a lot of free time and was narrowing down my list. However, a few profs didn't know yet whether they would have the funding to take a student. I'd say August/September is a good time. The point of the email is really just to introduce yourself and your interests, attach your CV, and find out if they're taking students next year and think you'll be a good fit for their lab.

Edited June 12, 2013 by PsychGirl1

[BeingThere]

Thanks, PsychGirl1,

I wasn't thinking about attaching my CV.  Is that standard practice when first contacting profs?

 

And PsychChick,

I was told to think of all contact with profs and schools as you would contact with prospective employers.  I don't know if you have experience applying for jobs, but I think by the time you contact a professor, the only doubt you should have is whether they will be taking students.  You could contact grad students to find out the climate of the school, read everything on the program website to find out how to apply and what the pre-reqs are and how the program will work (e.g. coursework and TA or RA expectations.) 

 

In other words, you can get nearly all other info from the website, other current grad students, (and this forum, actually), so I also am unsure what doubts you are referring to.

[HermoineG]

Hi PsychGirl1 and Bren2014,

 

Thanks a lot for replying!

 

I think I used a wrong word! I meant question instead of doubt. I do have some research experience but I do not have any publication on my name. So it weakens my application. This is why some people have advised to me ask professors if I can do some volunteer work for them. If they like my work, I can possibly get some plus points. 

 

Do you guys think it is feasible? Do professors take in volunteers? 

[PsychGirl1]

Bren 2014: I think it's fairly standard to attach your CV so that they can look at it if they want to, although you also introduce yourself in the email with a bit of info about yourself and your experiences.

 

PsychChick: yes, professors do take in volunteers. However, don't ask unless you're committeed to doing it if they say yes. Also, keep in mind you won't be local to all the professors you'd be interested in applying to work with. Also, length of time- if you start volunteering for them in August and then apply to their lab in November/December, I could see that being a bit of an awkward situation. If you're planning to wait another year or two for applying, then I say go for it.

[kaister]

I volunteered for my "POI" in the summer and continued on as I began applications.  Ended up now my "POI" is my "PI" and I think being there and showing my interest/effort definitely was invaluable.  Different professors have different systems for picking their grad students but at least for my PI it was important to know the person before hand or at least be aware of compatibility.  Though this will never make up for fit and competency...I know for a fact my choice is a perfect fit with my research interests and just happened to work out that way, but I will advocate that it is a good way to make yourself known and demonstrate dedication.  But by no means a guarantee...I never assumed it was one in volunteering either, that would be a big no-no.  PIs can tell if you're a good fit and if you're research interests are compatible, but note grad students can be a pretty good judge of that as well, so definitely think about talking with your POIs grad students.  Plus if grad students know you and you're able to demonstrate genuine interest/dedication they could potentially be great advocators for you.

[emmett81390]

If I am interested in working with mutliples professors in the same department is it acceptable to contact both?

[Angua]

If I am interested in working with mutliples professors in the same department is it acceptable to contact both?

 

Absolutely.  You should assume that they will talk to each other, though, and don't do something silly like giving them inconsistent information.  Actually, academia is a really small world -- you should probably always assume that your POIs will talk to each other.

[glipsus]

Hello all,

 

Is it absolutely necessary to contact POIs before application? I'm not from US, and all phd students whom I know are from STEM, they didn't contact anybody before application. They did not even mention any POI in their statements

So I don't understand how it works in psychology. Do I need an advisor before application? Is it possible to get into grad school without contacts with faculty? Can I choose the advisor after admission?

Help!

[PsychGirl1]

Hello all,

 

Is it absolutely necessary to contact POIs before application? I'm not from US, and all phd students whom I know are from STEM, they didn't contact anybody before application. They did not even mention any POI in their statements

So I don't understand how it works in psychology. Do I need an advisor before application? Is it possible to get into grad school without contacts with faculty? Can I choose the advisor after admission?

Help!

 

In general, STEM students are accepted into a program (end of story). For Psychology, you are generally accepted into a program specifically through a professor. That professor needs to be taking on new students, and needs to want to work with you over all the other applicants who want to work with the profesor. So yes, you want to email to make sure they are taking students (if it's not listed on their website). Otherwise, you may waste an application.

[glipsus]

Thanks a lot!

[SocialConstruction]

For preliminary emails, how much information is "too much?" I generally say "Hi," write two or three lines about my interests (framed in a way that fits with each POI), and conclude with, "let me know if you'll be reviewing applications this year! I would love to explore the possibility of working together." 

 

This has worked with some POIs (but not all), and I can't decide whether there is a better approach to writing the first email (e.g., citing a particular publication I found interesting). 

 

Thoughts? 

[Lisa44201]

For preliminary emails, how much information is "too much?" I generally say "Hi," write two or three lines about my interests (framed in a way that fits with each POI), and conclude with, "let me know if you'll be reviewing applications this year! I would love to explore the possibility of working together." 

 

This has worked with some POIs (but not all), and I can't decide whether there is a better approach to writing the first email (e.g., citing a particular publication I found interesting). 

 

Thoughts? 

FWIW, I think this is the best approach - keep it short & to the point.

[BeingThere]

I have been contacting professors and a couple have replied back with "I don't know yet whether I'll be accepting new students".  It looks like I'll be applying to some schools at which I will not be sure whether my POIs are taking new students.  I was going to contact POIs in July but was told that some won't know their plans for the following year at that point.  Glad I waited til August, but obviously I could have waited a bit longer for a couple of them. Has anyone else been experiencing this?

 

I have been keeping the initial email short and to the point.  Profs are busy people and surely get flooded with emails daily - especially now at the start of a new semester and with a flood of hopefuls emailing them about next year.  Some replies have been more engaged and encouraging than others.  I've decided to wait a couple weeks to resume emailing profs so that they can get their class rosters settled and hopefully get past the mania of the first rush of new students and start-of-semester meetings and events.  Maybe by then, things will be clearer about funding or current student progress or whatever it is that determines the taking of new students.

 

In the meantime, I'll continue with my assembly line of transcript requests, GRE score report requests, and applications.  Three short months til the first deadlines!

Edited August 31, 2013 by Bren2014

[PsychGirl1]

I have been contacting professors and a couple have replied back with "I don't know yet whether I'll be accepting new students".  It looks like I'll be applying to some schools at which I will not be sure whether my POIs are taking new students.  I was going to contact POIs in July but was told that some won't know their plans for the following year at that point.  Glad I waited til August, but obviously I could have waited a bit longer for a couple of them. Has anyone else been experiencing this?

 

I have been keeping the initial email short and to the point.  Profs are busy people and surely get flooded with emails daily - especially now at the start of a new semester and with a flood of hopefuls emailing them about next year.  Some replies have been more engaged and encouraging than others.  I've decided to wait a couple weeks to resume emailing profs so that they can get their class rosters settled and hopefully get past the mania of the first rush of new students and start-of-semester meetings and events.  Maybe by then, things will be clearer about funding or current student progress or whatever it is that determines the taking of new students.

 

In the meantime, I'll continue with my assembly line of transcript requests, GRE score report requests, and applications.  Three short months til the first deadlines!

 

Follow-up with the profs in Sept/Oct- keep in touch without being too aggressive. It's pretty normal that a handful don't know yet. I applied to one last year who didn't know until October, just based on how the application and funding process worked at that university. I just followed up with him every month or two until he knew what the tentative plan was.

[SportPsych30]

LuLa,

I'm afraid you'll drive yourself nuts trying to interpret and read into the actions of these POI's.. They can be very myseterious, but try to sympathize with them in that they have a ton on their plate and probably are recieving a number of emails just like yours on a regular basis. Just don't let their ambiguity get to you. Good luck!

SP30

[DarwinAG]

 

What does it mean if professors reply to my initial email, request more info about myself, and then never respond after that? I have had a couple of professors that replied to me, indicating possible interest depending on funding/competitiveness of other applicants, and asking for more information (my CV, transcripts, or more details on my research), and then never wrote back after I sent them the requested information. I'm not sure how to take that.....they got what they needed and there is no need to continue email exchanges? They were unimpressed with what I sent and I should take the silence as "thanks but no thanks"? 

 

I would give them time to reply. Then follow up in a week.

[emmett81390]

I contacted my top choice professor back in August but I was wondering whether it is worth shooting him another email now that I have officially submitted my application. My thought is that this could be a good way to reintroduce myself and make sure he keeps an eye out for my application. However, I'm worried that this could come off as slightly annoying/pushy. Any advice?

[hopefulstudent01]

I contacted my top choice professor back in August but I was wondering whether it is worth shooting him another email now that I have officially submitted my application. My thought is that this could be a good way to reintroduce myself and make sure he keeps an eye out for my application. However, I'm worried that this could come off as slightly annoying/pushy. Any advice?

I just posted a thread about this as well - I'm unsure. I believe that it can't hurt, but may be seen as pushy (not sure if that will put you out of the running though...)

[emmett81390]

I just posted a thread about this as well - I'm unsure. I believe that it can't hurt, but may be seen as pushy (not sure if that will put you out of the running though...)

 

For what it's worth, after posting this I also spoke to a friend who's in a phd program at MIT about this. His feeling was that it was absolutely acceptable to do.

[lewin]

Just to pitch in as a counterweight because really all we're doing is trading anecdotes: My PhD advisor hated these emails. His opinion was that it's people trying to game the system and get around the official process. He reads all the applications anyway, and would never even try to form an opinion until he'd seen the whole application package.

 

I get why people send their initial POI emails, if only to save the $75 if their person isn't taking students. But frankly a second email just to say that you applied seems excessive. "Acceptable", sure. Really, I can't imagine it would help or sink you, but that it falls into the category of "mildly annoying".

[PsychGirl1]

Just to pitch in as a counterweight because really all we're doing is trading anecdotes: My PhD advisor hated these emails. His opinion was that it's people trying to game the system and get around the official process. He reads all the applications anyway, and would never even try to form an opinion until he'd seen the whole application package.

 

I get why people send their initial POI emails, if only to save the $75 if their person isn't taking students. But frankly a second email just to say that you applied seems excessive. "Acceptable", sure. Really, I can't imagine it would help or sink you, but that it falls into the category of "mildly annoying".

 

I'm with lewin on this- all the professors I've worked with have the exact same sentiment. First email is a necessary evil, second is excessive.

[denimfan]

If you've already emailed the professor stating that you are interested in the same field of research and asking whether he or she will be taking on a student, it already kind of tells the POI that you will be applying. I agree with how merely emailing again to say that you applied is excessive and almost rude.

[emmett81390]

whelp fml... hopefully the professor I sent a follow-up email to chalks it up to naivete, eagerness, etc.