Does contacting POI after the application submission help improve your chance?

[HBKss]

I was wondering if that is the case.

 

Will it do any good?

 

I think sending an email might put a name in the mind of the POI when he will be looking at the applications.  

 

Also, how will the chances of admission be affected if you never contact the POI?

Edited January 30, 2015 by HBKss

[theory411]

I was wondering if that is the case.

 

Will it do any good?

 

I think sending an email might put a name in the mind of the POI when he will be looking at the applications.  

 

Also, how will the chances of admission be affected if you never contact the POI?

It depends on your degree program. I would be wary about contacting your POI after the application has been submitted, you should have done that before. Sometimes professors see it as bothersome. You shouldn't be asking questions about the program after you submitted your application. I hope this helps - that is just what I have been advised.

[HBKss]

@theory411

 

Thanks a lot for the response. The POI had already mentioned on his lab's page that he is accepting the students for this Fall, and hence I didn't contact him. Now I am getting a little nervous and hence thinking of contacting him. I was thinking about disguising my nervousness/bothering by sending him the draft of my paper which I have in submission and asking him to review the work as well while reviewing my application.

 

Is it okay then? Or is it too late as the deadline was 15th december and it has been 45 days since I have applied.

 

Oh by the way my program is CS 

Edited January 30, 2015 by HBKss

[Stonybrook4tw!]

That might not be as sturdy a disguise as you think.

 

Also-- might be a little weird and out of the blue if you haven't ever talked to him. What would you think if a complete stranger emailed you during a really busy time and asked you to do some work for them?

 

I completely understand your urge to reach out (I wish that I had reached out more before I applied) -- but I think at this point unless you meet him at a conference or visit or something, you might have to reign those urges in. 

 

Just one opinion though.

[theory411]

No, I wouldn't e-mail them. LieutenantBeefheart is absolutely correct.  That might end up doing you more harm than good. You don't want to seem desperate. You want schools to be fighting over you, not you fighting for them. 

 

I'm sorry, but the only people you should be contacting these days are the admissions representatives to find out where your application stands. 

[HistoryMystery]

If it's a friendly e-mail just saying hello I don't think it'll hurt. But it won't make or break you either way. The main benefit of e-mailing POIs in my experience was just getting a feel for their personality.

[HBKss]

Guys thanks a lot for the responses. You have been very helpful. 

 

So I think that the best way now is to just wait up for the decision and hope for the best.

[rising_star]

Waiting and hoping is really all you can do.

 

This question has come up a lot this year, more than in years past IIRC. I wonder why that might be...

[tipmar]

I have contacted most of the Professors I am interested in working with shortly after the applications' deadlines. I actually did so intentionally, as I thought it would be best to discuss things and offer to answer any questions while, or after, they were reading my materials and considering applicants. 

 

I do admit, being based internationally, I often do not fully understand the American codes of communication and, honestly, was completely unaware of what seems like a common convention on this board - that contact should be made prior to applying. I also was unaware of Grad Cafe at the time and, so, just went with what I thought appropriate.

 

That being said, I think it turned out very well. All Professors I reached out to were responsive and encouraging and I have had positive communication with many of them. Contact with a few people led to formal/ semi-formal interviews as well. While it's possible I was simply lucky or that my foreign identity bought me leniency about conduct, I do think that there is a tendency to over-analyze this issue.  I believe most people will respond to communication based on its content and relevance and I have no doubt that Professors are aware of the intense stress involved in this process.

 

Assuming your E-mails are stage-appropriate (obviously, don't ask about the program. What I did was say I have recently applied, describe my interest, explain why I think I will be a good match for this and that professor and offer to answer any questions about my application), you have little to lose in my opinion. The worst case scenario is that you will be told it is no longer relevant or that they simply fail to respond. I hardly think it will lower your chances.

[phoenix31]

I also want to ask the same thing. I have applied to social psychology PhD programs for the fall 2015. But I never contacted any of my POIs before applying as their lab websites mentioned that they were taking in students this fall.

So now are my chances of getting an admission bleak?? Is contacting the POIs crucial for receiving an admission??