Protocol for Contacting Professors?

[missmusical]

Can I contact professors asking about the amount of research experience they look for in prospective PhD students? Or would it be better to contact admissions offices? Can they tell me about the average stats of admitted students? I know I can find median GRE and GPA scores online but can I ask about the other criteria (i.e. years of research experience and other extra curriculars)?

[TakeruK]

You could ask but if you are just cold-emailing them these questions, it's very unlikely they will respond (or that you will get a useful answer). 

 

If you want to know how much research experience you would need to work with a specific professor, you can email them first just to introduce yourself and say that you are interested. Ask them whether or not they are taking students for Fall 2016. Then, if they respond in the positive and it sounds like you can have a short conversation about the research they do, you can throw in a question like "What kind of research experience are you looking for in a candidate?" etc. But don't be surprised if they give a non-committal answer because it probably depends on a lot of other factors. 

 

Note that each professor might have different criteria so you might get different answers from different people. I think the only purpose of this question is that if you have zero research experience, you would know not to apply to a place that says "we want all of our students to have lots of experience!". But if you already have some, it's likely that you will fall within the range of expectations so that this question is pointless.

 

For things like stats of admitted students, you should not ask professors. You should find the administrative person that is in charge of admissions for the department and ask if they would tell you. It's possible that they won't tell you anything useful though. 

[missmusical]

thanks

[jujubea]

You could ask but if you are just cold-emailing them these questions, it's very unlikely they will respond (or that you will get a useful answer). 

 

If you want to know how much research experience you would need to work with a specific professor, you can email them first just to introduce yourself and say that you are interested. Ask them whether or not they are taking students for Fall 2016. Then, if they respond in the positive and it sounds like you can have a short conversation about the research they do, you can throw in a question like "What kind of research experience are you looking for in a candidate?" etc. But don't be surprised if they give a non-committal answer because it probably depends on a lot of other factors. 

 

Note that each professor might have different criteria so you might get different answers from different people. I think the only purpose of this question is that if you have zero research experience, you would know not to apply to a place that says "we want all of our students to have lots of experience!". But if you already have some, it's likely that you will fall within the range of expectations so that this question is pointless.

 

For things like stats of admitted students, you should not ask professors. You should find the administrative person that is in charge of admissions for the department and ask if they would tell you. It's possible that they won't tell you anything useful though. 

 

I second Takeru's suggested approach.

 

I more or less did the same thing, except admittedly I was probably a bit too forward or forthcoming in the very first e-mail. I wrote quite long initial e-mails...

But then, I also had done a lot of research on schools and professors, and was very clear about who I wanted to work with and why. As such, I let that shine through in my opening inquiry (without saying it outright).

 

Although this was not actually some master plan I had (I wasn't yet frequently frequenting GradCafe, nor had I even bothered asking my own circle about appropriate protocol), I do think it worked out pretty well - luckily - because on at least one occasion, the professor's first response included something along the lines of, "If you could take the time to craft such a detailed and thoughtful e-mail, I am sure you will do just fine here."

 

So, let your true passion and interests and intention come through  

[Rose Tyler]

I don't think you would get a helpful answer, or perhaps any at all. Definitely don't ask about average stats. There are far more factors involved than just research experience. (I don't know what area of psychology you're looking to study, but the last doesn't apply to major research universities. I've seen many of their websites require prior research experience to apply.) Probably the most important is a solid research match. Professors want to know that your research interests align with theirs, especially if their program is structured so that you will be working directly within their lab.

 

I wouldn't ask the admissions office either. Research experience would be difficult to quantify and it's unlikely they track that information. They're probably also not privy to professors' preference. Just because a professor has taken a student with two or three years of research experience the past couple of years doesn't mean they wouldn't take a student with one.

 

Instead, you could email professors, describe your research experience and interests, and then ask them if they're taking on students. Attach your CV, if you have one. There are threads upon threads debating this in the psychology subforum. Although, don't do this for universities that post this information on their website or ones that directly discourage prospective applicants from contacting professors.

 

I agree with TakeruK. If you have research experience, then this question isn't necessary. It's far more about quality and how you can spin it to relate to a professor's work than quantity. If you have none, then you can replace the description of research experience part with a note that you lack prior research experience. Keep the note short and then jump right into your interests.

 

[juilletmercredi]

If you are going into psychology generally, then I would say that most professors expect at least 2 years of research experience to be competitive - so started in early junior year, maybe late sophomore, by the time of application. If you are specifically interested in clinical psychology, many programs are now expecting applicants to have 1-2 years in undergrad + an additional 1-3 years (most commonly 2) as a lab manager or research assistant post college. Social psychology is also more competitive.

 

That's not to say that there aren't students with 1 year of research experience who are admitted. But professors like to know that you 1) know what you're getting yourself into, and won't suddenly discover that you really don't like research and quit; and 2) that you will be useful to them in the lab. Furthermore, there's the concern that you can hit the ground running and keep up with your cohort mates, and be prepared to write papers early in the program and plan out a master's paper and a dissertation.

 

In my own psychology PhD program I doubt someone would be seriously considered if they hadn't begun doing research by at the latest their junior year of college, unless they had done a lot in a very short amount of time. Sure, it's more about quality than quantity, but quantity is also important.