How to correctly mail to prospective PhD advisor?

anonymous alum How to correctly mail to prospective PhD advisor? Hi! Through various sources, I learnt it is advisable to contact professors expressing interest, before applying. How should this be done? Is there any reliable way to create an impression? I would like to know things not/to talk before writing to a professor. What does a professor expects from his student? Thanks! #University #PhD #mail

{{ 1430732001649+1-1 | date : 'short' }} university phd mail All Replies User Picks

anonymous HI! I am no expert but this is how I do it - The subject should be - Fall 2016 prospective student (or something similar) NEVER address them as sir (Indians especially tend to do this). Address them as Dear Prof. Just formally introduce yourself in the first paragraph. Read about their research interests and talk about how your work so far could fit into their research. I do not know about your subject but in my subject an affinity towards quantitative and programming aspects are highly appreciated. So mention if you have any relevant skills. You can then ask whether they will have any opening in their research group. Lastly, the cover letter should be short. {{ 1430885584473+1-1 | date : 'short' }} my Eric Allen , anonymous and 2 other users like this

: Eric Allen expert @prithvi.thakur - great advice - you are on your way to "Expert" status! At the end of the day, they get a number of requests from prospectives and they are generally only going to respond to the ones that are credible. I would like to address the first point before I dive into HOW to reach out to a professor. You don't have to reach out to a professor to get into a PhD program. However, it does help to have an advocate in your particular area of research. To add on to what @prithvi.thakur said, definitely do your research on the professor and tie into what you are doing or how you could fit in. You can tell them that you really like said program and would love to work on his team and ask if he/she has any suggestions for the application process. If there is interest, definitely see if they have time for a short follow-up call. Be polite, to the point and respectful of their time - as you should since that may be your "boss" in the near future. Good luck! {{ 1430927077301+1-1 | date : 'short' }} my anonymous , Shannon Lopez like this Share

anonymous alum I agree with @Prithvi Thakur and @Eric Allen. When applying to a PhD program it is important to identify professors conducting research that interests you. Your research will become a major aspect of your life for at least a couple of years. It is valuable to create a rapport with the professors so that you can get a good idea if the professor is a person you can work for and learn more about their lab and other graduate students and postdocs. The people I know that have not completed their degree has always been a result of interpersonal conflicts rather than their ability to complete the work. Therefore I strongly urge you to read about the research being done and then contact the professor and request a 15 minute call to discuss their research further and identify your interest and synergies. {{ 1430940015989+1-1 | date : 'short' }} my Eric Allen , anonymous and 2 other users like this

: anonymous alum Is it okay to mail him without a GRE score in hand? {{ 1431336581941+1-1 | date : 'short' }} Share

: Kofi Kankam expert Yes, but it definitely helps to make them feel like you are a viable prospect if you have it. Oh - and add a pic your profile here! @cicely - thanks for adding your perspective. {{ 1431338457824+1-1 | date : 'short' }} my anonymous likes this Share

{{line.Caption}}

See all