What if a POI feels like a major celebrity to me?

[bsharpe269]

I am applying for grad school next season so I will be contacting professors this summer/fall.

 

A couple (but especially one) of my POIs is amazing and HUGE in my subfield. My subfield is new and small enough that most academics in related fields may not know his name but if you read alot in his exact area(hopefully my future area!), then you would know him as amazing. If he were to want to skype with me, I would feel more intimidated than if Obama did. I have of course read his big papers, I know what he does, I know who he callaborates with. He works at a university ranked around maybe 25-30.

 

Anyway because of him, that is my top choice school, above havard, above MIT. This guy is amazing. So when I email him, how toned down do I make it? Do i tell him that he is my top choice, that ive read everything he has written, etc or am I supposed to leave all that out? What did you guys do in these situations?

Edited February 21, 2014 by bsharpe269

[Lisa44201]

I understand where you're coming from 

But yes, for the apps, tone it down. E-mail him the way you would every other POI. You don't want to risk sounding like a stalker. It's okay to jump up and down and cheer if he returns your e-mail! Just don't let that come out in your writing.

[CulturalAnth]

With my celebrity-like-POI, I told him I was familiar with his work, and have been a fan for quite some time, and would like the opportunity to work with him. I didn't get accepted into the program at his uni, but I have made a life-long friend, and informal mentor in my field. When I wasn't accepted, he wrote me a long, very kind, personal email, that pretty much stated that he was just as disappointed as I was, but it was the committee decision. In the end.. I am glad I let him know that I very much like and respect his work, because either way, I've made a great contact in my field. 

[Fun_Cookie]

Let me guess david haussler from uc santa cruz?

[bsharpe269]

Let me guess david haussler from uc santa cruz?

 

I'm actually not all that interested in genomics so not him! I am more into the structure side of bioinformatics. The person I am talking about is not quite known at that level. I hope that because my subfield is fairly small that I wont have quite the competition for my POI as someone might have for him.