Continued Contact with Potential Advisors

[Victorianna]

As the long waiting period is upon us I thought that I would ask a few questions.

Have you maintained communication with a potential advisor/s?

If so, how have you maintained this communication?

Are they giving you inside information about the process? Care to share?

[peppermint.beatnik]

I'm struggling with this one too.

I met with a potential supervisor in mid-Nov. It went really well. She said, "To keep in touch."

I thought about writing, but what do I say? I submitted my application?

She gave me some "inside information" (if that's what you want to call it) when I met her, but it's not an on-going process.

I figure these people are busy enough that they don't need to be bothered with non-essential updates.

I dunno . . .

Edited January 6, 2010 by peppermint.beatnik

[Victorianna]

I exchanged some emails with potential advisors. Some went very well and they asked that I inform them when I submitted my apps. I have and now it seems that the waiting game beings. I am so thankful for this board as an opportunity to release frustrations.

[johndiligent]

I thought about writing, but what do I say? I submitted my application?

I did write to say that I had submitted my application, and when I did I attached my updated CV and SOP to the e-mail... that way it was right there, they didn't have to hunt for it, and it was easier to associate me with those documents. In every case, the advisor read the documents right away, then responded with reactions to it (like, that they were intrigued by paper X that I presented at some conference or other) or they sent me articles that they had written related to the sort of work they'd seen on the CV or asked follow-up questions about language preparation, that sort of thing. I highly recommend doing so.

[eucalyptus]

One of my POIs called me to invite me to interview weekend and to persuade me to attend his program. He followed up with an email sending me a couple of papers, and he wants to talk about them over the phone or video chatting (panic!). I didn't mean to stay in touch quite this much, but it looks like I have no choice! I do like the idea of engaging over intellectual material right now, since it's what I'd be signing up to do with him for 5 years.

[TMP]

One of my POIs called me to invite me to interview weekend and to persuade me to attend his program. He followed up with an email sending me a couple of papers, and he wants to talk about them over the phone or video chatting (panic!). I didn't mean to stay in touch quite this much, but it looks like I have no choice! I do like the idea of engaging over intellectual material right now, since it's what I'd be signing up to do with him for 5 years.

Video-chatting! And I thought it was scary already that my potential advisor suggested that we try Skype when I told him that my cell was being fickle.... needless to say, Skype didn't work out as my microphone wasn't working.

BUT GEEZ! That was soooo weird IM-ing him to figure out what was the problem with Skype and moving to cellphones... I can't decide which is scarier. IMing with him or with my not-so-tech-savvy mother.

[JerryLandis]

That's funny, I would be terrified! I also imagine I'd have to go over to someone else's house to do it, because my apartment is so shabby that I wouldn't want any of it to be seen in the background.

I haven't stayed in contact with any of my potential supervisors. My emails were all pretty much based on asking whether or not they would be taking on new grad students next year, so I didn't have much else to discuss with them after they replied.