Email address

[Schizo-Neuro enthusiast]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a question about what email address I should use in my online applications to graduate programs in US universities. Is a generic (outlook,gmail etc.) account alright, or would it be better if I used a university email address?

 

Thank you in advance.

[TakeruK]

I don't think it matters. I used my gmail address in case they automatically use your application email address as your main contact email address in future years. My academic email address would expire soon after I start the PhD program so I didn't want to use that. Also, the school I was attending at the time of application had a ton of email related problems (email server going down, not forwarding mails, etc.) and I did not feel that was a reliable email address to use.

[Schizo-Neuro enthusiast]

I don't think it matters. I used my gmail address in case they automatically use your application email address as your main contact email address in future years. My academic email address would expire soon after I start the PhD program so I didn't want to use that. Also, the school I was attending at the time of application had a ton of email related problems (email server going down, not forwarding mails, etc.) and I did not feel that was a reliable email address to use.

 

Thank you very much for your reply! I was thinking that maybe generic email addresses do not seem as ''professional'' as academic email addresses.

 

But then again I was hesitant to use my academic email address for exactly the same reasons you listed.

[peachypie]

A generic email from gmail or whichever is totally acceptable.  Not everyone who is applying is 1. in school yet 2.  has a job with a work email etc.  So it is quite common to use a personal one.  Also you will get emails before you are officially enrolled to the email you used during applications.  I was getting emails into the summer to my personal email regarding my program up until the school email address was created for me.  So you definitely want something that you will have access to if you graduate or leave a job and go on a great vacation before the start of your program!

The only thing I would caution would be using a personal email that sounds childish or inappropriate... i.e. Babygurl937@whatever.com should not be your email.  If you have one like that, just make a new email address with a generic or initials etc variation email.  Like J.Smith1@whatever.com. 

[TakeruK]

The only thing I would caution would be using a personal email that sounds childish or inappropriate... i.e. Babygurl937@whatever.com should not be your email.  If you have one like that, just make a new email address with a generic or initials etc variation email.  Like J.Smith1@whatever.com. 

 

Whenever I read something like this, I think back to the email address created by my 13-year-old self and cringe