Maintaining relationships with POIs during review process?

[NOWAYNOHOW]

First, I'll say that I did not contact POIs at all the schools I applied to.  I only contacted POIs who are close to my adviser.  Of those that I did speak with, two exchanges went particularly well, but we haven't spoken since our initial correspondences in the fall. 

Are we supposed to reach back out to people regarding our applications at this juncture or should we wait to see if they contact us?  I am never sure about the protocol.  The idea of emailing POIs now feels like it would be intrusive; however, I know some of you maintain contact or have contacted POIs after submitting and continue to chat during the period where applications are being reviewed.  My gut tells me not to contact them, but I want to make sure I'm not committing a faux pas or sinking my chances by staying silent.

 

I don't have much to say, besides reiterating my interest in both programs and maybe mentioning that I am a finalist for a departmental scholarship award.  Is it worth it?  Am I going to look like a nudge? Is there any one right way to interact with POIs or is it just willy-nilly chaos? Are you initiating conversations with POIs during this process?  Any and all feedback/methods/theories are welcome.

 

 

 

[MPollywog]

I think if you send a polite, concise email it won't come off as intrusive. Yesterday, at the recommendation of my advisor, I emailed a POI that I had an interview with a couple of weeks ago and just said thanks for talking to me. My email was only a couple of sentences long and the POI sent me a friendly little email back. Email and let them know that you're a finalist for that scholarship, it can't hurt. You could also just email them and say something along the lines of "Thank you for taking the time to correspond with me concerning my application to _____ University. I appreciate your help and guidance. I hope your semester is off to a great start! Best wishes, NOWAYNOHOW". As long as you're not repeatedly badgering them or blatantly asking if you've been admitted I think you'll be fine. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to interact with POIs, you don't need to overthink it. At this point in the game I think a little reminder that you still exist can only work in your favor.

[NoSleepTilBreuckelen]

Good question! I'm in the same boat - I contacted POIs back in October and have not had contact with most since submitting my applications. I think that for emails at this point in the process you'd want to have a specific question or reason for writing (i.e. not just a 'have you decided yet?' type question), but being a finalist for a scholarship is indeed news. And congrats on that, btw!  I'd say if you don't email the POIs, at least contact an admissions person about it to let them know.

[daykid]

Personally, my gut goes with NOWAYNOHOW's. I'd try to sit back on your heels a bit a wait it out. All of the POIs who have been in contact with me since admission season started iniated the contact. They were all people I talked to in fall and then didn't hear from between then and now. I feel like if you contact someone now just to check in it will be pretty transparent that you are antsy waiting to hear a decision and wanted to see if you can get some info.

 

I'd wait.

 

I do agree with NoSleep that if you have something specific to ask or have heard about funding or something of the like, pounce on it. Show your enthusiasm and get your questions in. But only if there is a good reason to.

Edited January 22, 2014 by daykid

[dtpowis]

I specifically calculated this for one particular school. I won an award from a national organization in 2012 and was asked to choose a mentor with whom I would like to write a paper. I specifically chose the woman that I knew would be my POI at the one school, and we've talked and worked together since. Now, it's not so weird for us to talk during the admissions process.

 

Of the other six schools, three POIs never emailed me back when I first expressed interest in applying, so they won't be getting emails during the admissions process anyway. I'll leave the last three POIs alone (though I should have emailed them "Thanks" after meeting with them at AAA in November, and I totally forgot - now it's a little late).

[mesoarch]

I also think it's best to hold off with e-mails.  It's tempting to find reasons to remind POI's of your existence, but I was cautioned by advisors that any e-mails would come off as obvious, even annoying, and that I should let the content of my applications speak for me at this point.  

Edited January 23, 2014 by mesoarch

[Canis]

If your gut says it would be at all strange, listen to your instincts. Remember that they have to imagine working with you, and emailing without a reason might suggest a potential problem. They're not going to forget you exist, and an email at this point won't change the admission result. It has a high probability of appearing to be desperate, or passive aggressive, or just annoying.

[Canis]

PS There's nothing wrong with sending an update to the admissions coordinator, POI, or graduate secretary after you get a scholarship, publish a paper, etc. to let them know there's an update to your file. But not as a finalist, only for summering you've actually got.

[MPollywog]

Well damn. My advisor is the one who told me to send the POI a thank you email. I don't think the POI would have replied, especially in such a nice way, if he had found it annoying. However, we had spoken over the phone two weeks ago so it's not like I was contacting him out of the blue. I'm not going to stress out about it. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would completely discount me over a two sentence email.

[Canis]

Of course, like all interactions with people in our lives, both professional and private, it depends. If it feels like it makes sense based on your relationship, go for it. Likewise trust your instinct if it feels like a bad idea.

[NoSleepTilBreuckelen]

MPollywog, I think a thank-you email is great! Once you've been contacted by your POI (e.g. they invited you for an interview), there is nothing wrong with keeping the line of communication open. When I was applying for jobs after undergrad, I always sent a post-interview thank you note. I think it's a nice gesture that certainly won't hurt anyone's impression of you. I think these posts have been more about when to initiate contact with a POI during application review season. 

 

So, in short, don't worry, you did the right thing

Edited January 23, 2014 by NoSleepTilBreuckelen

[NOWAYNOHOW]

PS There's nothing wrong with sending an update to the admissions coordinator, POI, or graduate secretary after you get a scholarship, publish a paper, etc. to let them know there's an update to your file. But not as a finalist, only for summering you've actually got.

 

Canis, and almost everyone, I think you are right.  My schools don't generally notify this early and I think I'm going stir-crazy.  If and when I get the award, I'll email the coordinator or gs, but until then, I'm going to stay quiet.

Thanks team!

[Canis]

I can tell you that every single day I think about emailing them. But it's only because I want to know the result, and my crazy monkey brain wants me to DO something. But that won't force a decision out of them, so I just try to distract myself with endless Netflix instead...

[gradcat]

Well damn. My advisor is the one who told me to send the POI a thank you email. I don't think the POI would have replied, especially in such a nice way, if he had found it annoying. However, we had spoken over the phone two weeks ago so it's not like I was contacting him out of the blue. I'm not going to stress out about it. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would completely discount me over a two sentence email.

 

Yours is different MPollywog because it was an interview follow-up.  Quite frankly, I think it would have been out of place had you NOT thanked the interviewer afterwards for taking his time to consider you.  I am pretty sure your POI agrees, given that he sent you a nice email back.  Don't stress about this, you did good.  

Edited January 23, 2014 by gradcat

[strudelle]

I had informal meetings (not interviews, just meetings that I set up on my own) with two POIs back in December and the first week of January.  I did not send follow-up emails or thank yous.  Should I do this now or should I not even bother because they're probably reviewing applications now?

 

I don't want to seem pushy or annoy them.  I also don't want them to forget me.  It also never really occurred to me to send a thank you :/  

[NOWAYNOHOW]

Maybe we should turn this thread into what shows people are mainlining to keep busy/distracted.  I started watching Fringe, which has a healthy 5 seasons and a billion episodes to get me through the next month or so. 

[dtpowis]

I binge-watched The Wire in the first two weeks of the year. It's pretty much ruined television for me - I just can't take anything else seriously after that. Fringe was fantastic though.

[daykid]

Hahah I like this idea. I have been rewating the West Wing for like the 3rd time. Before that I watched Alias again from start to finish

[Canis]

Fringe is SO good, if only I could watch it again for the first time. I really like research shows/movies - any film where there's a strong element of problem solving...

 

Recently been watching:

Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter

The Bletchley Circle

Dirk Gently (Amazon prime)

 

Old standbys that I return to include: STTNG; Stargate SG-1, Atlantis; ST: Voyager; Doctor Who; Sherlock

 

And keeping up with the new episodes of AHS: Coven

[NOWAYNOHOW]

Fringe is SO good, if only I could watch it again for the first time. I really like research shows/movies - any film where there's a strong element of problem solving...

 

Have you watched House?  I was pretty snotty about it for a long time and then I binge watched every season over a short period of time.  So good!  PLUS ngl it taught me how to pronounce a bunch of previously unpronounceable medical terms, which helps with my research.

[NoSleepTilBreuckelen]

I've become pretty addicted to playing Plants vs. Zombies...

[dtpowis]

I'm actually trying to focus my efforts into reading this stack of books that I've been wanting to read for a while now, and I'm having the hardest time focusing on one thing. On the one hand, I want to read something out of pure curiosity (untethered from academic obligations or pursuit), on the other hand I want to read something that will keep me well informed before I start graduate school, and on this bizarre third hand, I want to read something that I can somehow tie into my grad school interview next week. I also need to be working on two separate conference papers that are only slightly related. Anyway, I'm finding myself somewhat paralyzed with indecision, and what I really hate about this strange predicament is that I feel like I'm pissing away the most freedom I'm going to see for the next decade or more.

At least I've effectively divorced myself from the television.

[dtpowis]

P.S. I've tried getting into video games that I've had to ignore for the last four years. I gave myself wholeheartedly to Skyrim - the game that everyone warned, "I hope you don't have a job or a family before you start," - but I was bored after about a week. I'm just antsy, I think. Maybe once I get this interview out of the way, I'll be able to focus. (Here's hopin'!)

[NOWAYNOHOW]

I'm finding myself somewhat paralyzed with indecision, and what I really hate about this strange predicament is that I feel like I'm pissing away the most freedom I'm going to see for the next decade or more.

 

I'm going through this too.  I'm so distracted and unable to get things done because I'm anxious about results, but I know this break (my first in 5+ years!) was a missed opportunity to finish some projects and start others.  Class prep is taking me so much longer than I anticipated because I'm such a nervous wreck. 

[jellyfish1]

I'm actually trying to focus my efforts into reading this stack of books that I've been wanting to read for a while now, and I'm having the hardest time focusing on one thing. On the one hand, I want to read something out of pure curiosity (untethered from academic obligations or pursuit), on the other hand I want to read something that will keep me well informed before I start graduate school, and on this bizarre third hand, I want to read something that I can somehow tie into my grad school interview next week. I also need to be working on two separate conference papers that are only slightly related. Anyway, I'm finding myself somewhat paralyzed with indecision, and what I really hate about this strange predicament is that I feel like I'm pissing away the most freedom I'm going to see for the next decade or more.

At least I've effectively divorced myself from the television.

Me too! I've been trying to do lots of reading, but I keep getting distracted by the internet. Alas! I'm currently reading Kavalier and Clay, though I've just started it. I also feel like I should make a dent into the stack of intense archaeo and anthro tomes I've collected... gah. May I ask where you are interviewing? Congrats on that and good luck!