Can I keep in touch with a professor whose university I chose not to attend?

[geologyninja13]

Hi all,

I had the wonderful problem of being accepted to more than one program for a Masters in Geography and I had to make a very, very tough decision. I chose Oregon State over San Diego State based on funding, breadth of interests, location, and support for graduate students, despite the fact the San Diego State had a professor (let's call her Dr. M) who seemed to me like she would be an excellent mentor. I also found a great mentor at OSU, just with a slightly different research concentration. Unfortunately SDSU couldn't offer me enough funding, and I felt like OSU would be a better overall fit. I really enjoyed talking with Dr. M., though, she's SUPER competent in her field and her students say that she is a patient and involved advisor. I'm also thinking that if I end up wanting a PhD, where advisor fit is more crucial anyways, I might re-apply to SDSU.

Would it be appropriate to stay in touch with Dr. M.? I feel like I developed a professional relationship with her during my interviews and campus visit, and feel like burning that bridge would be a waste. However I don't know if that would be rude since I rejected her school's offer.

[TakeruK]

Yes, you can definitely keep in touch. Just remember that professors are busy and will probably prioritize their time for their students. And I guess it could depend on the field, but academically/professionally "keeping in touch" is a little different than keeping in touch with friends etc. One way you could approach it is to let the prof know that you decided on Oregon for your Masters and that you hope to keep in touch and that you are interested in applying to PhD programs in the future. 

Then, I think there are certain times that make it easier to renew contact:

- When you publish a paper (don't worry if you don't do this during your Masters though)

- When you are about to go to a conference in your field (email them to see if they are going if you want to set up an appointment; or just try to find them when you are both there).

- When you are going to apply to PhD programs and want to talk about opportunities

- When something comes up and it makes sense to consult with them. For example, when I submit papers to the journal, my advisor and I often discuss a few people to send pre-prints to. We find people that we know that might be interested and could potentially provide good feedback in addition to the referees. These people are either people I know or my advisor knows (at first, I knew no one but for the most recent paper, it was mostly people from "my" network). 

I'd say there's no real need to email them more than once or twice a year! But these guidelines might scale differently in your field.

[rebeccacip]

agreed with the comment above. Keep in touch but-- that really means not burning bridge in any way. You want to make sure that you thanked them for considering you and getting to know you. Keep the future in mind- PhD programs, positions in their lab, or even post- doc placement. It is possible that you could work with her in the future.