Listing potential advisors without funding

[zhtmahtm]

Hi all,

I've been contacting many professors (like 6) in my top-choice school that does a lot of research that aligns pretty well with my interests. However all of them didn't have funding, and only 2 of them responded that they would be willing to take students only if they can secure funding from some sources (not guaranteed). At this point I'm not sure whether I should mention these professors in my SOP. I'm guessing that I should still talk about them to make my SOP more tailored to the school, but can that be also taken as a sign that I didn't do enough "research" before applying...?

[rising_star]

It all depends on how you talk about them. If you say something like "I have been in contact with Drs. X and Y about our shared research interests and their willingness to take me on as a student" then it should be fine.