How important is it to email professors when applying?

[lorenzen]

I am late to this Master's application cycle. I haven't submitted anything yet, and will be finally submitting everything about a week before the deadline of each program.

 

I only contacted one professor, someone I knew from undergrad. We had a good rapport and she advised me a bit. I wrote a really personable yet professional email demonstrating familiarity with her work and showing how it aligned with one my interests, and she hasn't replied. That's not encouraging.

 

I'm so intimidated by the idea of reaching out to the professors, especially since my interests are relatively broad still and I can't say exactly what I want to do in a master's thesis. How necessary is this? See, if I were a professor, it would probably not please me to be getting all these emails from unknown students. Perhaps they do not seem genuine. Or will not emailing people from each department screw me over?

 

And I read we should be emailing 3 people.... Oh man I'm getting stressed now.

[European Lumpi]

I wouldn't worry about it too much for master's programs tbh. Most people I know got into their MAs without talking to anybody beforehand. Think of it more as a bonus that could add to your application, but not reaching out to anybody shouldn't affect it negatively. The majority of PhD admits haven't talked to anybody beforehand either. If you have the time, absolutely go for it. However, if it's going to decrease the quality of the rest of your application materials, I'd advise against it.

[lorenzen]

8 hours ago, European Lumpi said:

I wouldn't worry about it too much for master's programs tbh. Most people I know got into their MAs without talking to anybody beforehand. Think of it more as a bonus that could add to your application, but not reaching out to anybody shouldn't affect it negatively. The majority of PhD admits haven't talked to anybody beforehand either. If you have the time, absolutely go for it. However, if it's going to decrease the quality of the rest of your application materials, I'd advise against it.

Thanks so much for your input. Is this how it is in Europe? Or is this drawn from experience in the USA? 

[qeta]

I have a sort of related question. Should I email folks post-app-submission, if I'd previously indirectly worked with them or spoken to them in-person at conferences?

[European Lumpi]

3 hours ago, lorenzen said:

Thanks so much for your input. Is this how it is in Europe? Or is this drawn from experience in the USA? 

Goes for MA programs in both the US and Europe I'd say. Contacting advisors before PhD programs might be more important in Europe though, seeing as you start working on projects right away and you usually apply to work with a specific supervisor.

1 hour ago, qeta said:

I have a sort of related question. Should I email folks post-app-submission, if I'd previously indirectly worked with them or spoken to them in-person at conferences?

No idea. You can always try. I would be careful with your wording though, just so that it doesn't sound like you're solely trying to raise your profile. It doesn't really make sense to sound like you're trying to find out more about the program after you've handed in your application

[qeta]

4 minutes ago, European Lumpi said:

Goes for MA programs in both the US and Europe I'd say. Contacting advisors before PhD programs might be more important in Europe though, seeing as you start working on projects right away and you usually apply to work with a specific supervisor.

No idea. You can always try. I would be careful with your wording though, just so that it doesn't sound like you're solely trying to raise your profile. It doesn't really make sense to sound like you're trying to find out more about the program after you've handed in your application

Ah, thank you. I agree with you, but my partner (an academic in the sciences) thought that I should email these profs after app submission.

[lorenzen]

I'm going to sound like a dumb millennial. Well, tisnt an untruth.

 

How did this work pre e-mail? Say it's  1978. I wonder what the protocol was. Was one expected to develop a paper correspondence with academics they wished to work for, or was it just not expected? 

 

[abenz]

13 hours ago, qeta said:

Ah, thank you. I agree with you, but my partner (an academic in the sciences) thought that I should email these profs after app submission.

I think it depends on whether you've been talking to them before. I had phone calls / detailed email correspondence with 3 people (different universities) before applying, and in my SoPs for those places, I specifically wrote things like, "I spoke to Prof X who works on Y topic, and they are willing to work with me on Z project if successful" (well, it's better worded than that, but you get the idea!). So that they aren't suddenly surprised by the head of adcomm asking them about it, I sent them my SoPs on with a very polite note saying thanks for your support, hope to speak to you in the future. I had really positive responses from that, so if you think it's something that they would appreciate, I would go ahead and make contact - but keep it brief and make it relevant.

[European Lumpi]

On 12/13/2017 at 12:10 AM, qeta said:

Ah, thank you. I agree with you, but my partner (an academic in the sciences) thought that I should email these profs after app submission.

Well, the credentials speak for your partner then haha. Just think about how to phrase it. As long as you're polite, no one is going to hold anything against you, I reckon.

[qeta]

On 12/13/2017 at 12:45 PM, abenz said:

I think it depends on whether you've been talking to them before. I had phone calls / detailed email correspondence with 3 people (different universities) before applying, and in my SoPs for those places, I specifically wrote things like, "I spoke to Prof X who works on Y topic, and they are willing to work with me on Z project if successful" (well, it's better worded than that, but you get the idea!). So that they aren't suddenly surprised by the head of adcomm asking them about it, I sent them my SoPs on with a very polite note saying thanks for your support, hope to speak to you in the future. I had really positive responses from that, so if you think it's something that they would appreciate, I would go ahead and make contact - but keep it brief and make it relevant.

Wow, you are amazingly organized! My interactions were more like detailed conversations during conferences about specific points in their presentations. I think I'll go with @European Lumpi's advice and keep quiet.

3 hours ago, European Lumpi said:

Well, the credentials speak for your partner then haha. Just think about how to phrase it. As long as you're polite, no one is going to hold anything against you, I reckon.

The process for sciences admissions seems quite different though, especially for the lab-based sciences. I still think your first instinct was right.

[Madelene]

I haven't contacted any professors, but have chatted with many current students. I know different schools recommend different processes--Stanford recommends you don't contact, while UNC recommends you do. I think Stanford's logic is that everyone should be evaluated on the same materials, without giving preference to those with the cultural capital to reach out in in formulaic ways.