I need help from a UK person!

[katiegud]

I am a US student applying to programs in the UK. I know you are supposed to contact potential supervisors ahead of time, so I have been emailing. Some schools have said yes, we have people that will supervise that project, go ahead and apply. Some have said they are not interested in the subject. Some have not replied at all. 

 

Do I only apply to the schools that said yes? At Cambridge, for example, the only prof that looked like she matched my research interests said she wasn't interested, but not to let that stop me from applying because someone might be interested. That makes me feel like I should apply regardless, but I also don't want to spend a fortune applying to a bunch of schools that are not a good fit. 

 

Should I bother with the ones that didn't reply? Or should I try to find a different prof at the ones that said they weren't interested? 

 

I don't want to screw up my chances with an etiquette mistake, so some advice from UK students would be great! Thanks!

[beyondaboundary]

katiegud

I got my MA in the UK and I was seriously looking at doing my PhD there so here goes: In the UK, it is important that you have someone who is interested and equipped to supervise you. Given that a PhD there is almost totally independent research, you would need to find a department whose cumulative output meets your research needs and a supervisor in that department whose interests can tangibly support your work.

 

That said, definitely and obviously apply to those who responded to your inquiry, look again at the departments like that at Cambridge and see if there is someone else who will be willing to take your project on and ignore any that you didn't get a reply from.

 

The underlying thing is this...no willing supervisor...no admission.

 

Hope that helps

[TakeruK]

Many programs in Canada also require a willing supervisor in order to secure admission. I would also suggest that you try to follow up with people who didn't reply at all -- they might have just missed the email, so try again a few times before giving up! And I think it's worth trying to contact different profs that you might be interested in but didn't contact in your initial set of emails!