How much does a potential PI's approval matter?

[healthypsych]

Sorry for so many posts! So I have reached out to a few professors at schools I am applying to and so far I have had phone convos with a majority of the professors. Any professor that I have spoken to over the phone has said they would be delighted to have me in their lab. How much does this weigh in the application process?

[Chubberubber]

It varies dramatically from school to school, and from program to program. In some cases professors get almost full control  on who they admit to their lab specifically, in others there is some mix where admissions comittee makes the first cut and only then do professors look at application files, and yet in other schools they have even less influence. During my appliction process last year, one professor told me stright up that I seem to be a great fit but that he has no influence over who gets admitted (I didn't get into that program). So basically, it's impossible to gauge the importance of a potential PI's interest to admissions. However, it is always encouraging to know you are being thought of highly! 

[t_ruth]

For most of the PhD programs I'm familiar with it weighs pretty heavily. At my current institution, the potential advisors have complete control unless a student is below a certain GRE cut-point--then it becomes a faculty discussion and they still almost always get in. At a prior institution, there was an admissions committee who would create a list of students they wanted to admit and then try to match each of those students with an advisor. Still, potential advisors could fight to get a student they wanted to work with on that list.

[Piagetsky]

How would you suggest reaching out to a professor if you already know they're taking students (via website)?  I don't want to commit the cardinal sin of Asking Dumb Questions, but I'm really at a loss for what else I would contact them about.

[StrongTackleBacarySagna]

32 minutes ago, Piagetsky said:

How would you suggest reaching out to a professor if you already know they're taking students (via website)?  I don't want to commit the cardinal sin of Asking Dumb Questions, but I'm really at a loss for what else I would contact them about.

You don't have to reach out to every single one. A lot of people don't before applying

[t_ruth]

On 11/11/2015, 7:29:52, StrongTackleBacarySagna said:

You don't have to reach out to every single one. A lot of people don't before applying

This is true, and I know plenty of people who got into programs this way. Two things though: 1.) your chances are better of getting in if you've made personal contact and 2.) your chances are better of being happy once you are in if you've used the opportunity to make sure you are a good fit for both the program and the PI. Most of the people I know who are/were miserable in their programs either went somewhere because of the school name or because of location without first finding out what their lives would be like behind the admissions curtain.

[Generic_Applicant]

On 11/11/2015, 10:30:48, t_ruth said:

For most of the PhD programs I'm familiar with it weighs pretty heavily. At my current institution, the potential advisors have complete control unless a student is below a certain GRE cut-point--then it becomes a faculty discussion and they still almost always get in. At a prior institution, there was an admissions committee who would create a list of students they wanted to admit and then try to match each of those students with an advisor. Still, potential advisors could fight to get a student they wanted to work with on that list.

Can I ask what your current institution is? Just wondering where it is that the potential faculty's opinion matters most. 

[t_ruth]

3 hours ago, Syedahum said:

Can I ask what your current institution is? Just wondering where it is that the potential faculty's opinion matters most. 

PMing you.