How much does having a prof vouch for you to the adcomm really help?

[gellert]

Say you have a good rapport with your POI(s) at a university, and the POI vouches for you to the adcomm and tries to get you in.  If they are not themselves on the admissions committee, how much difference does this make?  Certainly it would bring one's application to the attention of the adcomm, but could it be the difference between getting in and not?

[fuzzylogician]

It could help quite a bit. This is basically a recommendation from a person that the adcom known well and hopefully trusts. It will get you noticed and it should get you some favorable attention during discussions. It could end up making the difference between being admitted and not, but who knows.

[Cpsych92]

It depends … I think it depends on how they accept student. Does a committee or is the final say up to the POI? How does the application process work? It varies from school to school. I think the ideal situation would be where the POI is the one who choses. In some cases they can chose whoever they want. Is it your alma mater? That may help too.

 

I think all in all there is absolutely no negative, only positive to this. However, the way the school handles the application process would impact the overall influence.  

[gellert]

For one of the programs, it's up to the committee and not my alma mater.  For another, it's up to the committee but the POI has final say. A third is my alma mater with the POI having final say. 

 

The one I'm most concerned with is the first, since I know it's the adcomm who decides, not the POI.  All the POI can do is their best to push me through to acceptance.  So ... fingers crossed.

 

Thanks for the advice, fuzzy and Cpsych!

[Cpsych92]

I think that if a POI requests for your application to be pushed through it will happen. 

[DropTheBase]

One of my PI's personally called someone on the admissions committee, a professor that I also wanted to work with. When I later contacted that POI to inquire about research, he informed me that I shouldn't worry about not getting in.

 

It's one of the most powerful things on an application. If a PI goes above and beyond what is asked, it means he/she is betting his/her reputation on you succeeding in that POI's lab. PI's will only do that for exceptional undergraduate students.

 

DTB

[gellert]

One of my PI's personally called someone on the admissions committee, a professor that I also wanted to work with. When I later contacted that POI to inquire about research, he informed me that I shouldn't worry about not getting in.

 

It's one of the most powerful things on an application. If a PI goes above and beyond what is asked, it means he/she is betting his/her reputation on you succeeding in that POI's lab. PI's will only do that for exceptional undergraduate students.

 

DTB

 

Oh, this is about a POI at the school - the person to whom I'm applying - going to the adcomm and saying he/she wants me in his/her lab, despite not being personally on the adcomm.

 

Though I do hope my present PI vouches for me to his friends in academe, as well.  It would definitely help, as your experience shows.  (Congrats, by the way!)

[gellert]

I think that if a POI requests for your application to be pushed through it will happen. 

 

fingers crossed that time will prove you right! 

[Loric]

The way you're phrasing this seems to imply you think of the adcomm as a singularity... it's multiple people, and very likely includes your POI. 

 

Edit: Reading is fundamental! Saw your later statement that they're not on the adcomm. Regardless, them asking for you will be a big push. You are, afterall, "their problem" and the adcom will generally see it as like.. oh i dunno.. a puppy.. "It's your responsibility Timmy! We're not going to feed him for you!" but they got the puppy for the kid, regardless. 

Edited December 5, 2013 by Loric

[DropTheBase]

Oh, this is about a POI at the school - the person to whom I'm applying - going to the adcomm and saying he/she wants me in his/her lab, despite not being personally on the adcomm.

 

Though I do hope my present PI vouches for me to his friends in academe, as well.  It would definitely help, as your experience shows.  (Congrats, by the way!)

 

Wow, I grossly misread your original post. My sincerest apologies!

 

I was told by some professors that in general, PI's that you mention in your app receive a copy of your application so that they can provide feedback to the adcom. In other words, the adcoms routinely talk to your POI's. And as fuzzylogician already mentioned, good words can get you noticed. I can't tell you if this applies to every school, however.

 

DTB

[ProfMoriarty]

One of the places I'm applying strongly advises applicants to have a POI "sponsor" their application. I assume all schools have that policy, even if they don't directly say so. It certainly cannot hurt, though.