Impact of "connections" in PhD application process

[bwgvsu]

I will be meeting with a professor from a USNWR top 30 PhD program that I am strongly interested in attending. One of my current professors attended graduate school with him, so he put me in touch.

The professor I will be meeting with has research interests close to mine. I will be applying this fall. Will meeting with him improve my chances of getting in, or not really?

 

 

[fuzzylogician]

35 minutes ago, bwgvsu said:

Will meeting with him improve my chances of getting in, or not really?

Unless you do something outrageous in the meeting, any kind of personal connection can only be a plus. At worst it will do nothing, but having a face to put with the name and some personal experience from meeting you can positively sway the professor in your favor. In general, having connections in academia is incredibly important, I can't stress enough just how important. Networking is key for getting the right funding, the right jobs, getting invited to give talks, for getting favorable reviews on your grants and papers, etc. It's never too early to start. You won't get anywhere if you really suck, but you can easily be very good and not do as well as someone who is well placed and has the right connections.

[guest56436]

56 minutes ago, bwgvsu said:

I will be meeting with a professor from a USNWR top 30 PhD program that I am strongly interested in attending. One of my current professors attended graduate school with him, so he put me in touch.

The professor I will be meeting with has research interests close to mine. I will be applying this fall. Will meeting with him improve my chances of getting in, or not really?

 

 

Doubtful it will affect the process at all. Admissions process is incredibly decentralized in political science. POIs have little input on who gets accepted unless they are on the adcomm. 

[oakeshott]

There's another mechanism: use this as opportunity to gain as much insight into the professor's department as you possibly can, and then leverage that information strategically as you tailor your application for that particular school. In other words, the meeting can help you understand what to do in order to come across as a good fit.

Edited April 14, 2017 by oakeshott

[guest56436]

4 minutes ago, oakeshott said:

There's another mechanism: use this as opportunity to gain as much insight into the professor's department as you possibly can, and then leverage that information strategically as you tailor your application for that particular school. In other words, the meeting can help you understand what to do in order to come across as a good fit.

This is probably a good idea.