Should I or shouldn't I??

[captiv8ed]

One of the schools I am applying to has a deadline next week.

I have had contact with one of the faculty members at the school for a couple of years. I have gone to the school and talked to her about fit, been to board meetings with her, and hung out a little in social situations. I have kep tin email contact with her about my application process. But I have never emailed anyone else in the program to discuss fit. And now I am looking over the faculty list and realize there is someone there who is an awesome fit for me, and it is someone that I have had one-on-one professional contact with. So, one part of me says, it is too late to get in contact, it will just look desperate and last minute. But the other side of me says go for it.

What would you do?

[JerryLandis]

I would say to go for it. Perhaps say that you are acquainted with the other professor and that you have only recently been alerted to this person's presence at the department. Emailing them late isn't going to hurt your chances, unless of course you say something horrible in the email. It may not be the ideal time, but the application isn't due yet, so it's fair play.

[LateAntique]

+1 - I feel like it could take some suave words, but you could definitely make this work. If the fit is really that good, the professor will be happy you've contacted them.

[captiv8ed]

I am chickening out, even with words of encouragement! Not only is it a week beforehand, I just realized it will also be finals week for them, so maybe they will hate me if they see one more email in their box. (I am saying them because I was doing some deeper research and the one that I thought would isn't as close as I hoped, but I found two other profs who are doing research that appears totally in sync with my interests)

[Eyetea]

I think its application nerves. Go for it. If you fell that this professor's work gels with your interests, don't back out now!

[socialpsych]

I don't think it would be bad to go for it, but don't beat yourself up if you decide not to, either.

True story: I was at the interview, in March, for one of my top choice schools. On our second night there, one of the profs hosted a party, and at that party I was introduced to a prof in the department whom I'd never heard of, but whose research interests aligned perfectly with mine and whose name I surely would have mentioned in the SOP if I'd known about him! Long story short, it wasn't really my fault for missing his name on the department website because there was an issue with how he was listed...but still, I was so embarrassed I could have died. He wasn't offended, fortunately, and he ended up being my main faculty contact at the school and (AFAIK) an advocate for me in the admissions process. So, your timing can't possibly seem worse than mine, and these contacts are valuable whenever you have a chance to make them...if you don't go for it now, but you end up interviewing at the school or something, make sure you reach out to this person at some point in the process!

[margaretlouise]

Here's another thought: unlike applicants, the application process does not organize most professors' worlds (except if they've been selected for the admissions committee, and maybe during "recruitment time" after people ahve been accepted). Maybe you can email this prof (even AFTER the deadline, since all schools spend a week or two just organizing the sheer number of applications and divying them up between members of teh committee for the first round of read-throughs) as an academic. You work on stuff she works on, and you would like to talk to her about X. Don't make it about fit anymore, as this will likely become apparent if it's there (sounds like it is!). I think it could work to your advantage as a scholar *and* as an applicant to get in touch. Does that make sense? Make it about the academic inquiry, rather than about the rat race of applications. Even if you don't get in at this particular place, it'll be good to have this mentorship/connection in the future.

(And, as far as admissions chances, it's probably never a bad thing to demonstrate that you're an engaged, thoughtful, go-getter.) I say email this prof but focus on your common interests, not her(?) position as a prof at a school you'd like to be admitted to. If (s)he brings that up, by all means talk to her/him about it.

Either way, I would email with a relatively specific question (maybe after you've read the intro to a recent book they've written?) rather than saying "hey, you do American Lit! Me too. Let's get together!"

[captiv8ed]

Good point! Thanks