Contacting and networking your way in

[rising_star]

I would think the ideal time would be during the summer or at the start of the semester, assuming professors get busier and have less time as the semester goes on, so if the deadline is in late December/early January the next couple of weeks would be the last chance to get anything significant through...

But its a good thing that we've established that contacting DOES make a difference.....it will make one more than just a number to them...

See I actually think summer can be one of the worst times to contact faculty. Why? They're not paid then! Also, in some fields, that's the only time faculty have to go out in the field and actually do their research.

<br>How have others applying to doctoral programs in the US fared with the phrase "taking students"?

You might want to rephrase that to ask if they are accepting new advisees or willing to serve/chair your committee. In my program, profs don't "take" students, though there are exceptions on the science-y side for RA positions, so it's really about finding someone that wants to serve as your advisor, though not necessarily fund you.

Yeah, I should clarify that. I don't mean like "This will affect my decision, so YOU BETTER REPLY!!!!!" More like, "The reason I'm asking you about whether you're taking on new students is <i>not </i>so you'll guarantee me a spot, but rather because it doesn't make sense for me to apply if there's no chance I'll work with you." Of course it's hard to convey that tactfully, but apparently I did...

I think this is very important. They should understand that you know enough about the program and other options out there that you won't bother to apply there if the best potential advisor for you isn't taking on new students. Certainly, one aspect of these emails is to help you ascertain whether the person is willing to add to their advising group.

can anyone who had success contacting professors mention his field and if possible the school he is contacting..

I had success in fall 05 and fall 07 in the social sciences when contacting a variety of schools. There's a whole other thread on that in "Applications" that you may wish to consult.

As an aside, I'd point out that your question ignores that many of the most active posters on this forum are women. I assume you're interested in their responses as well?

Edited November 16, 2009 by rising_star
trying to fix funky formatting

[captiv8ed]

It is def not too late. I just got back the email of my DREAMS. Sent this afternoon.

One thing I realize too, is that most profs I know are constantly in a state of meeting deadlines and trying to stay on top of things, so I would think they may be very understanding of later emails.

[JerryLandis]

"He" or "She" can be taken to mean "one" if you don't feel like writing he/she and disrupting the flow of your sentence. "They" is incorrect - it's plural and it annoys me when Facebook uses is as a singular replacement for he/she. As a result of this confusion, it's generally agreed that he or she can be used to mean 'a person' or whatever for the sake of brevity, and so that people don't have to be overly formal by using 'one' all the time. I know of a few people who use "she" to mean any man or woman, because technically it's just as acceptable as using "he." Saying "he" or "she" in this case does not necessarily mean you're being exclusive of the other sex.

Our language really needs a non-offensive, informal, grammatically correct form of "it" to use in these cases.

Sorry if this is boring and random, I'm killing time waiting for a bus.

[samjones]

"He" or "She" can be taken to mean "one" if you don't feel like writing he/she and disrupting the flow of your sentence. "They" is incorrect - it's plural and it annoys me when Facebook uses is as a singular replacement for he/she. As a result of this confusion, it's generally agreed that he or she can be used to mean 'a person' or whatever for the sake of brevity, and so that people don't have to be overly formal by using 'one' all the time. I know of a few people who use "she" to mean any man or woman, because technically it's just as acceptable as using "he." Saying "he" or "she" in this case does not necessarily mean you're being exclusive of the other sex.

Our language really needs a non-offensive, informal, grammatically correct form of "it" to use in these cases.

Sorry if this is boring and random, I'm killing time waiting for a bus.

well, using "he" as a default for general persons isn't happening within a vacuum (meaning societies are often patriarchal and let the masculine stand as the default, which notoriously leaves out everything other than "he"), and i think that's the problem with neglecting everyone else on the board with the "he" in question. another way one could make general statements could be to use "s/he" if brevity (on a board where you're wasting time) is valued.

[ColorlessGreen]

"He" or "She" can be taken to mean "one" if you don't feel like writing he/she and disrupting the flow of your sentence. "They" is incorrect - it's plural and it annoys me when Facebook uses is as a singular replacement for he/she. As a result of this confusion, it's generally agreed that he or she can be used to mean 'a person' or whatever for the sake of brevity, and so that people don't have to be overly formal by using 'one' all the time. I know of a few people who use "she" to mean any man or woman, because technically it's just as acceptable as using "he." Saying "he" or "she" in this case does not necessarily mean you're being exclusive of the other sex.

Our language really needs a non-offensive, informal, grammatically correct form of "it" to use in these cases.

Sorry if this is boring and random, I'm killing time waiting for a bus.

Sorry to send this thread so far off-topic, but...

For anyone who is applying to a linguistics program, a word of advice: don't assume that singular "they" is incorrect. It's fine to object to it on a stylistic basis or on the grounds that it is clunky or weird in your own idiolect, but there are a million counterarguments to the suggestion that it is somehow wrong. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and Anthony Trollope all used singular "they," to say nothing of millions of other English speakers who have been using it for at least 600 years. To say that it is wrong would be, from a linguistic standpoint, not only absurd but bad linguistics as well. The Cambridge English Grammar, along with most other reputable English grammars, puts the myth that it is wrong to rest, but there is still a great deal of confusion about singular "they" in the popular literature. Introductory linguistics classes, in my experience, almost always cover this topic when discussing prescriptivism versus descriptivism, so for anyone applying to linguistics from a different undergraduate discipline, it probably wouldn't hurt to read up on it a bit. You can check out the Language Log, run by Mark Liberman of UPenn among others, for more information. A few of their posts about singular "they" are here, here, here, and here.

[LadyL]

I definitely second the approach of saying you are considering applying and want more information about the program/ that person's lab. I switched over to this approach (instead of definitively stating my interest in the program/lab) and went from getting perfunctory or no reply, to getting much more personalized responses. 2 professors even suggested a phone call and one requested my CV. I don't know if it's because I seem more desirable if I'm not definitely applying or what but it feels good to get any sliver of interest from a potential mentor!

[gurumaster8899]

I know its a bit late for me to be asking this, but is it better to send emails before or after submitting your application?

[LadyL]

I know its a bit late for me to be asking this, but is it better to send emails before or after submitting your application?

Definitely before. If a potential mentor isn't taking students it could affect your whole application, and you want your name on people's radar before a stack of applications is on their desk.

Some professors are less interested in chatting until they've seen your app, though. They don't want to waste their time in case you're a C student who got a 500 on the GRES or something.

[Ziz]

I have had an interesting experience with contacting profs in the UK and US/Canada with very different experiences. So far both professors in the UK have responded very enthusiastically, saying how much they would like to work with me, my topic is original and interesting, and they really hope I will apply. The American/Canadians have said something along the lines of "whether a student gets in is based on their application, not a professor's recommendation. good luck".

[captiv8ed]

I definitely second the approach of saying you are considering applying and want more information about the program/ that person's lab. I switched over to this approach (instead of definitively stating my interest in the program/lab) and went from getting perfunctory or no reply, to getting much more personalized responses. 2 professors even suggested a phone call and one requested my CV. I don't know if it's because I seem more desirable if I'm not definitely applying or what but it feels good to get any sliver of interest from a potential mentor!

Just to prove how maddening the process is, I will chime in to say I took the opposite approach and have had very good luck. I have said something along the lines of "I am looking forward to applying to your program because of XXX"

Almost everyone has gotten back to me and told me how well my research interests fit and lots of very encouraging and welcoming words.

[hamster09]

if you are in the sciences contacting professors does not mean much...

i have had pretty good responses from those i have contacted but they always say they have a central application process.

so anyone correct me if i maybe mistaken.

[alexis]

if you are in the sciences contacting professors does not mean much...

i have had pretty good responses from those i have contacted but they always say they have a central application process.

so anyone correct me if i maybe mistaken.

It seems like that's a common response (e.g. professors who we contact as advisors don't generally sit on adcoms, but I think you're right, probably depends on the program).

It appears to me that the whole process is EXTREMELY field-specific, from what I've seen, regarding contacting professors and the type of responses you receive. For some programs, you have to identify a professor to work with; for others, it's optional; for some, you're not really supposed to, because you don't specialize your first year. How specific you need to be about your research interest also seems to vary.

I've decided not to stress too much about the responses I received (mostly tepid/generic ones from the psych programs). You have to base it on their research interests/apparent fit, and it's hard to know what to think until you meet someone and see if the program is a good fit in person (e-mails can be oh-so deceiving--I know some super awesome people in academics who come across really mean in email, for some reason, and vice versa). At least, that's the approach I'm taking.