Contacting Professors Thread (specific questions pleaseee)

[bsharpe269]

I am applying for Fall 2015 admission in the sciences so I will be working on applications this fall.

 

I am currently working on my master's and have pretty specific research interests. I have identified people who are well known in my subfield and I am working on reading publications now to decide who’s interests fit best with mine.

 

I have a couple specific questions related to contacting them (which I assume will happen this summer):

1) Is it a good idea to bold face words that I want to catch their eye in the email or does this come off too strong? My field is technology heavy and I have experience with specific software that their research centers around. They probably spend months - a year teaching their new students about this stuff. Some of them have developed their own related software that I have used or read a lot about and would be interested in using. So should I bold some of the main words to catch their attention and make sure they pay attention to my email?

2) Contacting professors who collaborate? Some of the professors who I want to contact collaborate extensively with professors at other schools... publish together frequently and share students (some students do a PhD under 1 professor and postdoc with the other). If Prof X and Prof Y are at different schools but doing very similar things then I of course want to apply to both schools and contact both professors. How do I handle that? Do I let Prof X know that I also contacted Prof Y and would love to work with either? Send an email to them together, saying that I would love to be part of their work, should I apply to both programs or jsut 1?

 

My research interests are specific enough that if I cant work with the specific advisors then I am no longer interested in the programs so writing these emails is going to be a big deal for me. Any other advice is welcome!

[bmarcus]

Regarding #1, I was effective with all three targets without using bold face. In fact, my messages were only one paragraph, very short and direct.

 

Good luck!

[ratlab]

Regarding #1, I was effective with all three targets without using bold face. In fact, my messages were only one paragraph, very short and direct.

 

Good luck!

Yeah I'd personally find an email with bolded words in it as irritating and a bit presumptuous. 

[RomulusAugustulus]

Just going to agree with the previous two posts, definitely don't boldface (or italicize) anything! I understand wanting to be sure you catch their eye, but boldface/italics always come off as slightly obnoxious (believe me, I had a roommate that used to email that way, it was the worst. lol). Can't help you out with the second question unfortunately (humanities major here), but I would imagine it doesn't matter much. Just contact both, no need to let them know you are applying to work with the other as well. 

[bsharpe269]

Thanks for the opinions on bolding.

 

Does any have any opinions on the second question? If I turn down a professor for phd then does it hurt my chance of doing a postdoc with him in the future?

[Dedi]

I wonder about the second question as well. I think you shouldn't make any promises to either professor. They should know that it's not personal if you don't choose them. If they take it personally, that's their loss.

 

That reminds me, I should contact a POI I want to work with for a post-doc...

[geographyrocks]

Thanks for the opinions on bolding.

 

Does any have any opinions on the second question? If I turn down a professor for phd then does it hurt my chance of doing a postdoc with him in the future?

I've seen you post several times concerning your postdoc experience.  I think this is taking preparation to the extreme.  You haven't even been admitted to a PhD program yet.  Also, the professors are not going to care that you choose to work with another professor.  You are not the only person applying to the program, and I'm willing to bet that you won't be the only person emailing them either.  As long as you send an email politely decling (which you can find advice on how to write those on here), you should be fine.  Here's what I suggest:

 

1) NO bold face.  This is considered rude.  These are research professors who have quite a bit of intelligence.  Putting words in bold face is like telling them that they don't know how to read.  Responding to potential students is part of their job but not the only part.  Send them an email.  If they don't respond in 2 weeks or so, send a follow up. 

 

2) Contact the professor that you are interested in at the school you're interested in.  If two people collaborate and you're interested in working with either of them, email both of them.  Do not send one email to multiple professors.  Even with the best of intentions, this could look like cold-mailing.  And someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you have to apply to postdoc positions so a graduate student that worked with Professor X would have to apply to work with Professor Y with their postdoc.  They would have an advantage, but I don't think it would be a sure thing. 

 

I also made contact with the professors I wanted to work with, and it was invaluable.  You can find tons of advice online.  I sent a paragraph or two that contained my stats and accomplishments along with the research I'm interested in and how it fit with the research they were doing. 

[Crucial BBQ]

I am applying for Fall 2015 admission in the sciences so I will be working on applications this fall.

 

I am currently working on my master's and have pretty specific research interests. I have identified people who are well known in my subfield and I am working on reading publications now to decide who’s interests fit best with mine.

 

I have a couple specific questions related to contacting them (which I assume will happen this summer):

1) Is it a good idea to bold face words that I want to catch their eye in the email or does this come off too strong? My field is technology heavy and I have experience with specific software that their research centers around. They probably spend months - a year teaching their new students about this stuff. Some of them have developed their own related software that I have used or read a lot about and would be interested in using. So should I bold some of the main words to catch their attention and make sure they pay attention to my email?

2) Contacting professors who collaborate? Some of the professors who I want to contact collaborate extensively with professors at other schools... publish together frequently and share students (some students do a PhD under 1 professor and postdoc with the other). If Prof X and Prof Y are at different schools but doing very similar things then I of course want to apply to both schools and contact both professors. How do I handle that? Do I let Prof X know that I also contacted Prof Y and would love to work with either? Send an email to them together, saying that I would love to be part of their work, should I apply to both programs or jsut 1?

 

My research interests are specific enough that if I cant work with the specific advisors then I am no longer interested in the programs so writing these emails is going to be a big deal for me. Any other advice is welcome!

For question #2, simply send each an individual email.  I would not specify that I am in contact with the other professor as the whole point of contacting the professor in the first place is to get someone on the "inside" to go to bat for you when your application comes up for review.  Also be aware that the mentor/advisor role may be different at different schools/programs.  In one program I applied to students have two advisors: an academic advisor and a research advisor.  With another program admitted students are assigned an initial advisor and have two years to select an advisory committee. At yet another program I was interested in, but ended up not applying, I would have up to two years to select/find an advisor and lab.  And of course there are the programs where my advisor from the get-go would remain my advisor throughout.  

 

Thanks for the opinions on bolding.

 

Does any have any opinions on the second question? If I turn down a professor for phd then does it hurt my chance of doing a postdoc with him in the future?

It may or it may not, really depends on individual disposition. And perhaps, memory. 

 

I've seen you post several times concerning your postdoc experience.  I think this is taking preparation to the extreme.  You haven't even been admitted to a PhD program yet.  Also, the professors are not going to care that you choose to work with another professor.  You are not the only person applying to the program, and I'm willing to bet that you won't be the only person emailing them either.  As long as you send an email politely decling (which you can find advice on how to write those on here), you should be fine.  Here's what I suggest:

 

1) NO bold face.  This is considered rude.  These are research professors who have quite a bit of intelligence.  Putting words in bold face is like telling them that they don't know how to read.  Responding to potential students is part of their job but not the only part.  Send them an email.  If they don't respond in 2 weeks or so, send a follow up. 

 

2) Contact the professor that you are interested in at the school you're interested in.  If two people collaborate and you're interested in working with either of them, email both of them.  Do not send one email to multiple professors.  Even with the best of intentions, this could look like cold-mailing.  And someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you have to apply to postdoc positions so a graduate student that worked with Professor X would have to apply to work with Professor Y with their postdoc.  They would have an advantage, but I don't think it would be a sure thing. 

 

I also made contact with the professors I wanted to work with, and it was invaluable.  You can find tons of advice online.  I sent a paragraph or two that contained my stats and accomplishments along with the research I'm interested in and how it fit with the research they were doing. 

I believe you are correct about the postdoc.  

[bsharpe269]

Thanks for the feedback guys!