Contacting Faculty

Common grad school questions

Should I contact faculty from programs I am applying to?

Some advisors and current graduate students will recommend that you contact faculty affiliated with the programs you are applying. While this is not a necessary step, it can help you out in the long run:

By discussing your academic interests with faculty, you can determine whether a certain program is suited for your needs.

Establishing a relationship with a faculty member who has pull with the admissions can be your ticket in.

If you are applying to a school in order to research with a specific professor, contacting them is essential in order to make sure that they will actually be able to accommodate you in their lab when you get there.

Furthermore, by talking with faculty, you will get a sense of their personality and research style and in the process, identify potential PI's for your thesis research.

Email is the best way to begin communication. Pick one or two people that you are really excited about and write them a short email introducing yourself and what type of research experience you have. Say why you are interested in their research and their program, and ask any questions that you might have. Be polite and don’t over do it.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t receive a response right away or at all. Some professors are too busy to answer their email. If this is the case, try contacting a graduate student in their lab, or another faculty member.

A cautionary note: Don't give the impression in your application that you are only willing to work for one faculty member. If a school thinks that you are only interested in attending their program if you get to work with a specific professor, they might not accept you. For instance, if that professor has a full lab and is not taking students for a couple of years, then the school would assume you have no interest in attending their program and will not offer you admission.

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