Proper way to contact Professors during admission process
Contacting professors at the right time will definitely help you get that that one dream I-20 you had been waiting for. This post is the continuation of the previous article Guaranteed Admission to Graduate School: One magical idea.
Actually, there is no magic behind this. But there are certain proven ways that can help you effectively catch their attention.
Making professors respond to you is the key behind getting admission. I will explain the following aspects of sending an email so that your email doesn’t go to the Trash bin right away.
- When to send email.
- Length of the email.
- Contents of the email (What to include and exclude).
- What to do if there is no reply.
Example 1:
Dear Dr. XYZ,
My name is Atul and I have applied for Spring Semester to take-up Masters in Computer Science. I’m very interested to study at your University.
I have a very good academic percentage in my undergraduate course as well as good GRE and TOEFL scores. Will I get RA or TA with admission? If so, that will be of great help.
I have presented various papers at national level conferences and my final year’s project was about operating systems. I was part of a team of 4 people that conducted the project and we won the best project for the year.
Thanks,
Atul.
So, what do you think of Example 1? It mentions about the student’s achievements and interest to study in a school. But do you think that kind of email will appeal to a professor? I’m sure it goes straight to the prof.’s “Deleted Items.”
- Tip 1: An email should not be more than 4 lines.
- Tip 2: Do research and present facts.
- Tip 3: Create an association between your interests/experiences and the professors’/universities’ research interests.
- Tip 4: Don’t attach your resume in the first email.
- Tip 5: Use bold font while mentioning your projects.
- Tip 6: Don’t send emails on weekends. Try to send email on weekdays, during working hours.
Why will the above tips work?
Professors are extremely busy persons and they follow strict schedules. They don’t have time to read lengthy emails, long ones don’t appeal to them.
They receive 100s of emails everyday. Remember, your email will be only one among the many he/she receives from current/prospective students and from many others.
During the admission decision process, only a few professors or graduate school advisors will be involved in the process. If you happen to have contacted them and got their attention, you will have a much better chance of getting admission.
If any of your projects and research works matches those of the professor’s, or if you have worked in any area that a professor is working on, you can very well contact him. Follow the same 6 tips I said to get his/her attention.
Usually, if they are interested, they will ask for your resume. Once they like your profile, he/she will recommend you for admission. If the professor happens to be involved in one of best funded projects, you might get RA/TA with admission.
Example 2:
Dear Dr. Sharma,
I have applied for Masters in Computer Science for Spring 2008. I had read your current research on Distributed Operating System. I have completed a study on implementing Kernel-less OS and presented papers at national level conferences.
I’d like to know more about the research work and I’m interested in working in your project. My application # is 123456.
Thank You,
First name, Last Name.
I’m sure an email similar to Example 2 will definitely get a reply mail from some of the professors. He/she might ask for your resume and project description and maybe he/she might send you a few links for white papers to you to study.
So now you know what to do to get admission to graduate school. This is far better than simply applying and waiting for 2-3 months without knowing the results.
It doesn’t cost anything to be little proactive and get the admission in the college you always dreamed. I would really appreciate if you like the post, or if you had any similar experiences please write a comment.
Does this advice apply for undergraduate admissions too?
in subject whatdo we need to write
professor mailed me to send resume and transcripts . should i mail them or send by post .
Can you share the letter which you sent to that professor. Will be glad!
Glad to get this post from you. Yes indeed, I am coincidentally a student of computer engineering and am going to follow your advice with my own way.
Thanks a lot.
how to write a Dr. to do research/PhD under him, in the main subject of him?
pls help..
Hi, your example was only on the sciences,what about other courses like Economics.Also how do we get the email address of the professors
Great post but missed out a crucial point…
HOW TO THE WRITE THE SUBJECT OF THE EMAIL…?
Hi.
“Please help me the continue education”
I’m Bagher Rezaei-from Afghanistan and born since 1984.I’m twenty-six
years old. I have migrated in Iran because of that the war , and
financial problems and etc. My family is poor. I have document master
degree from the University of Tehran in Iran. In field of the general
psychology, now. I'm living in Iran too. I have the problems in Iran:
1-I’m not enough money in financially because of Iran government don’t
allow the work for afghan students and they haven’t give subsidy from
afghan students, in order that to is very pushed for us.
2-Iran government is actually wanted 5000$ for me, because of document
master degree, that I am have not money.
3- My passpor the time is finishing (that I was graduated but I am not
student now and by six month, I would have returned for my country.
4 -I have not place and locate in my country and I would like
continue my education .But my country is level low in education.
I have activated program in follow aspect:
Activation humanitarian in cross red organization in Iran.-1
2-Investigation activated :the title my testis in master degree The
Effect of Culture on Self-Referent and Other-Referent Memory among
Afghan, American, and Iranian Students(by cognitive approach and equal
experimental methodology).
3-By now, I was others design but I could not play because of luck
equipment as FMRI and …by approach neuropsychological and affects self
reference and mother reference and others.
-Theory of mind and culture …..
In ending, I’m would very like continue in your country and your
university in field of psychology in approach of (clinical or
neuropsychological or etc.).
Please help for me until I’m enable to continue my education in PHD
degree in your university.
Best regard
Bagher rezai
Number Phone: 00989363452387
Email:[email protected]
And the subject line is:" Question about Ph. D. position."
Also focused, concise, and clear.
It awesomely worked. Here is how it was done:
"Dear Prof. XXX,
I have recently graduated with a M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Yeungnam University, South Korea. My research experience includes polymer science (dispersion, controlled/living polymerization) and nanotechnology (nanocomposites, nanotubes, nanoparticles,etc.). I am attracted by your research interests and find that my research experience can adapt well with your work, so I would like to pursue a Ph. D. degree in your lab.
Could you please let me know if it is possible for me to apply for the upcoming semester?
Thank you very much and regards,
Quang Long. "
And I got a reply immediately from the professor.
I think the email should be
– Concise and focused, not overwordy (4-5 lines).
– No attachment.
– Sent in their working time.
– Be formal.
What should be the email subject line when asking for the research assistantship?
I wanna get my Statement of purpose reviewed from you. I am applying for MA in International and development economics from Yale university.
Plz email me the required way to send you the Statement for review.
I hear that in USA selection procedure is like first come first serve, mean application reached first has great advantage of getting admission. Kindly explain?
Hii HSB…As per this part of the blog i had sent an e-mail to a professor asking him about my admission chances….My e-mail contents were basically how his research work was commendable and that i would like to join his lab for the spring semester..i quoted that i have read his article and due to my similar interest i would like to be a part of his lab if he is expecting new students….Now there is another indian professor in that university…I wanted to ask whether i should try mailing him as well…or should i stick to one professor….i havent got any replies from previous prof..how much time do they take to reply to prospective students??? Should i mail him again…i had sent the mail 3 -4 dayz back….hope so u read this post a lil sooner….i have applied for Spring 2011 intake….GRE TOEFL GPA is decent…..problem is that i dont any research experience…nor any paper publication….3 months work experience…thats it…what is ur advice on this???
God bless you man!
I will do so:)
Thanks for the great tips and an apt template.
I've read tips from a variety of sources, and this is truly 'pure gold' as mentioned by Arviman, this post sums up all a person needs to know and follow in order to get things right in contacting profs. Someone has even mentioned the subject line, finally!
Although this post mentions contacting profs after applications, I'm doing so much before admissions, so that can be a debate. Well, since I've already done my study, I'll go ahead and send mails, let's see what happens.
All the best to everyone.
Hello,
This blog is great!! I got great ideas of how to improve admission chances.
You guys are doing awesome job. Great..
Hello Sir,
Thanks for the wonderful advice. Infact I have got admission to Clemson universityfor MS (electrical) and am trying for funding in your suggested method.
But is it advisable to apply for research assitantship in a different area than where I am going to specialise just for the sake of getting the money even if the research does not come useful?
Please help.
Thanks and Regards
Hi,
I am Adrica Kyndiah presently pursuing my maters in Physics and would like to apply for a PhD program abroad…. Can you please advice me on this…..
Thanks with great appreciate
hello everybody,
I had mailed to a few professors a month ago but didnt get any reply. So i mailed them back , and got a favourable response from one professor. this is what he wrote:
Hi,
Sorry I missed your earlier message, and thanks for applying to our graduate program. There are definitely interesting opportunites to work on social networking privacy issues.
I am looking for new students for my research group for the fall, but it is primarily up to our admissions committee to make decisions on which students to admit.
Best regards.
I am now worried as to how should I proceed. What should I write to him in the next mail. I have not yet mailed him my resume, should that be attached to my reply to him?? someone please help me with this…
where can we find professors contact websites.i researched whole website of liu but didnt find my interest based professor for my course.so please suggest me as sson as possible
Hello,
When you write an email to professors, what kind of a subject line would catch the professors attention?
You have given a draft of the email itself which is very helpful. Please do suggest an apt subject line.
Thank you in advance.
It helped so much.
Thank you very much, I send an email and do get reply!
But the professor said the adviser of the department will be in charge of admission and forward my email to him.
Should I send the adviser an email, and if my interest is not quite fit his, what should I say? Can I tell him I interested in the other professor’s research?
Can u plz tell me whether it is safe for girls to do ms in us. bcoz many of indians are being assisinated.
Thank you so much for writing this blog, it has helped me out so much. I am sure you have helped a lot of people who are all just as thankful to you as i am.
🙂
Good Luck with your life
god bless you
Thank you, I have found ur post much interesting and true. I will surely use this trick to get into a good college. One more thing if you can just tell me which college and university is best for Masters of Computer Science.
Thank you
My name isABUL MONSUR and I have applied for Spring Semester for Masters in POLITICAL SCIENCE. I’m very much interested to study in your University. I have very good academic percentage in my Undergraduate Course JLPT LEVEL-3.
Going to be da best blog fo' prospective students,,,,,
helped me much…thanx.
Hey, this really helped thank you so much!
The subject of the email can be
Regarding PhD Research Work
or
Regarding Research based MS
stimulating and communicative, but would participate in something more on this topic?
Thank you. I did not think about this before as I am very concerned about my chances of being admitted…
@ramchandra: You will have to find whats their research area and associate your project to that.
I am going to apply for Fall 09.
I had a question as:
I am working on ireless local area networks in my final year project.
So while contacting the professors ….I should do so…with them who are working in that field or the ones pertaining to my interests…ofcourse they must be in the evaluation committee..
Therefor in effect the question is:Wether to contact profs working in networks…and then tell them that i wud want to work in other areas…(I sounds stupid enough)
or
I contact the profs working on projects of my interests and then tell them about my wireless project so as to say ki…I have done so and so in my undergrad…but i want to do so and so …during my higher studies?
hey, that’s really helpful … i tried so much to find this kinda helps ..
i appreciate it .. thanx
Should the professors be contacted only after apping to the university? Can they not be contacted before apping to find information about their research so that we can decide to app or not?
What should be the subject of this email to the professors?
i applied for housing scholarship but how could i response to the selection committe about that they should grant me housing scholarship .how to email them that if they give me housing scholarship i could do better in my masters
GRE 1000(Q;680+V;320+2.5)
TOEFL 73
ACADEMIC 61.38(7 BACKLOGS)
UNDERGRADUATION ELECTONICA AND INSTRMENATATION
APPLIED FOR MASTERS COMPUTER SCIENCE
my gre is 1050( verb=510,quant=540)toefl 109 aggregate 79% i hv applied to 5 univ 4r spring term & sent packt on jul 15th & i hvnt got any admit letter please can u advice me how lpng it will take to receive an i20
thanking you
hey i really found this post every interesting and useful.by the way am doing my final year pharmacy.iwant 2 do my my MS in US.can u plz tell me how can i contact the university professors and where do v get here email adresses
Hello,
i was going through your post on the "Right way to Contact professors to get admission" ; now you have mentioned that i can write to professors if i am doing a project similar to his project work. But what if the projects that i have done at undergrad studies does not matches with my current Interrest in MS specialization? like my final year project was on MESFET devices that falls under Solid state devices course. But i want to do my MS in control systems. Then my current research interest will not match my previous project. In that scenario would you please advice what should be my focus when i am contacting the professors?
Also Can you please advice what should I write in the subject text box while emailing the professors.
thanks and regards
What should be write in the subject while sending an email to the professor
@ sagarm
Yes, you can apply. See if you retake GRE and score more than 1100. but there are schools that give admit for 950.
Hi,
My GRE score is 950 and TOEFL acore is 105,
BE aggregate is 86%,
I have 2 yrs of experience in mechanical.
Whether i can apply for MS program in US.
this blog is really useful.
well in the e-mail we send to professor what should we write in the subject block?
Awesome info dude!! PURE GOLD!
This is a very helpful blog. Thanks a million
Thnx for al da info.. Dis blog is totally Useful