emailing professors

[PhDhopeful]

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ok,
so I am at the stage where I realize that i totally need to start emailing professors to see if they are even accepting students...a process that I completely overlooked. What do I say to them?

Good Afternoon,
My Name is Blankety-Blank. While looking through information concerning your clinical PhD program I came across your faculty profile and realized that many of my research interests match areas you are currently studying. Are you mentoring students in the fall?
Thanks for your time,
Blankety Blank

Is that totally lame? I know people who are reading their papers and commenting about further research possibilities and to be honest I don't have time for that...So..What do I say?😕 😕 😕

 

[JatPenn]

ok,
so I am at the stage where I realize that i totally need to start emailing professors to see if they are even accepting students...a process that I completely overlooked. What do I say to them?

Good Afternoon,
My Name is Blankety-Blank. While looking through information concerning your clinical PhD program I came across your faculty profile and realized that many of my research interests match areas you are currently studying. Are you mentoring students in the fall?
Thanks for your time,
Blankety Blank

Is that totally lame? I know people who are reading their papers and commenting about further research possibilities and to be honest I don't have time for that...So..What do I say?😕 😕 😕

I would read a paper or two and ask a question relevant to the prof's research. It also might not hurt to briefly mention HOW the prof's interests match yours (eg you've been doing emotion research in a lab for the past two years, etc, etc). Sound like you are genuinely interested (because I'm sure you are!) rather than like you're casting your fishing rod.

 

[irish80122]

I actually looked through some of their articles, found one that I liked, and mentioned it by name. I also asked if they planned on continuing this research. That is important because one of the professors was accepting but he was also changing focus, so that would have stunk if I hadn't asked! I hope that gives you a few more ideas.

 

[PhDhopeful]

thanks irish, i think i'll do that i just know that i dont have time to read 45 papers and then try to relate that in an email i just need to get to the point, but i think i'll skim a few papers and ask is they are continuing research.

 

[docjohng]

If you don't have time to get to know the people you're emailing in hopes of working with them in some capacity in the future, then don't be surprised at the results.

I know that may sound harsh, but the truth is that professors see right through any shallow attempts at garnering favor.

Find a topic that interests and motivates you, and then find the professors to match. You'll find that a lot more rewarding than the shotgun approach.

John

 

[psypsypsy]

I have to admit that I didn't read papers for each person that I emailed when I applied, and it all turned out fine. I emailed a number of people, and I don't think I would have time to read everyone's article.I did for a few, but mostly, I looked at their descriptions on their websites, and at the titles of articles to see if I could get a sense of what they did.

Overall, my letter was pretty short, and I have to say, I think that's what got me a good response rate. If you ask a lot of questions, professors have to take the time to come up with a response, and it will go the bottom of the list. I just pretty much wanted to know if they were taking students.

It pretty much went:
-My name, interested in applying to clinical psychology program at [school].
-2 sentences about where I went to school, and what research I was currently working on.
-Something like, "The program at [school] seems to be a great fit, and I am especially interested in your work on...[ex. parenting in high risk environments].
-Question about taking new students.
-Thanked them, and my name.

Hope that helps!

 

[LM02]

I have to admit that I didn't read papers for each person that I emailed when I applied, and it all turned out fine. I emailed a number of people, and I don't think I would have time to read everyone's article.I did for a few, but mostly, I looked at their descriptions on their websites, and at the titles of articles to see if I could get a sense of what they did.

Overall, my letter was pretty short, and I have to say, I think that's what got me a good response rate. If you ask a lot of questions, professors have to take the time to come up with a response, and it will go the bottom of the list. I just pretty much wanted to know if they were taking students.

It pretty much went:
-My name, interested in applying to clinical psychology program at [school].
-2 sentences about where I went to school, and what research I was currently working on.
-Something like, "The program at [school] seems to be a great fit, and I am especially interested in your work on...[ex. parenting in high risk environments].
-Question about taking new students.
-Thanked them, and my name.

Hope that helps!

Agreed - being on the "other side" of things, I know firsthand that profs do not like to get lots of emails with lots of questions, especially when the only reason for the question is simply to ask one. But if you have a "real" question, go ahead and ask it.

Don't worry about having to read tons of articles at this stage of the game - after all, there will be people who won't be taking students, and there's no guarantee that you will even be invited to interview. So there's no use putting a lot of time into getting to know someone's body of work, if you don't even know if you will ever meet or talk with them. Save your time, and delay the article reading until you've been invited to visit. If their work generally interests you, that's enough for now.

Good luck!

 

[PhDhopeful]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I dont really want to try and gain favortism I just bottom line want to know if they are taking students or not. I have written down at least 3 professors that I am interested in working with from each school I am applying to and know general information about each professors work and interests, I think for now that is enough. If I get accepted into a program then I will most certainly look in depth into their work.

 

[PhDhopeful]

So here is a draft of the email I want to send to ask a professor if they are taking students...I don't know why I am so scared to send it. I think that if it isn't up to par they will look at it and decide they don't want me at their school. Ok Here goes Tell me what you think:

Dr. Blank,
Good Afternoon. My name is Blankety Blank and I am a senior psychology major at So and So's University. I am extremely excited to be applying to Said college's clinical psychology program this fall. I am currently working on research concerning sexual victimization and revictimization among college women with Dr. so and so and noticed from your faculty profile this is one of your interests as well. My question is 1) do you think you will be continuing your research in this area in the fall and 2)are you interested in incoming graduate help?
Thank You,
Blankety Blank

 

[Quynh2007]

yeah, basically, I have had 100% response rate when I straight out ask them if they are accepting. i told them my current research, why i want to work with them (in terms of their interests, i haven't really read any papers, i just look at recent publications and see what they are currently doing) and why they are a good fit because of overlapping interesting.

good luck

 

[Sorg1123]

Ok, perhaps this has issue has already been visited, but I'm interested in multiple faculty at one program and wonder how best to proceed with the emails. My hesitation is b/c I don't want to unfocused, although the faculty do have quite similar research interests... I'm not personalizing these emails beyond Name, School and general research interests/practice (ClinNeuroPsych).

Would it be kosher if I noted on the email that I also emailed their associate Dr. XXX on this topic, or should I just email away and not worry so much?

 

[green23]

Ok, perhaps this has issue has already been visited, but I'm interested in multiple faculty at one program and wonder how best to proceed with the emails. My hesitation is b/c I don't want to unfocused, although the faculty do have quite similar research interests... I'm not personalizing these emails beyond Name, School and general research interests/practice (ClinNeuroPsych).

Would it be kosher if I noted on the email that I also emailed their associate Dr. XXX on this topic, or should I just email away and not worry so much?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=299815

it's been addressed at this link. i did it, and there didn't seem to be any problem. in fact, one of the professors suggested that i also contact the other professor that i e-mailed. many schools ask you to list more than one faculty member you'd want to work with - so it would make sense that you'd have to contact multiple members to see if your interests matched.

 

[psypsypsy]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=299815

it's been addressed at this link. i did it, and there didn't seem to be any problem. in fact, one of the professors suggested that i also contact the other professor that i e-mailed. many schools ask you to list more than one faculty member you'd want to work with - so it would make sense that you'd have to contact multiple members to see if your interests matched.

I'd agree with that. There's an expectation that you'd want to have similar interests with at a couple of professors at each university. Plus, as much as I stressed about it when I was in applying, professors don't share with eachother who sent them emails. The popular ones get over 100 emails like this, and most professors respond pretty generically, and then they go about their day. They're not talking with eachother about who is sending them emails before applications have even arrived.

Also...on a side note, it's good that you have multiple people you want to work with, and that's something to look for in programs. First, it increases your chances of getting in. Second, not to put anyone in a panic, but professors leave programs all the time. If your major advisor left, you'd be forced to either go with them somewhere else (if you could and were allowed) or find another mentor in the program.

 

[amy203]

Did any of you email professors at schools that already had the professors accepting students listed on their websites?

Close to half of the schools I am applying to have them listesd. I've thought about emailing some of these professors, just to introduce myself and let them know that I'm interested in their research, but I don't want to waste their time.

Any thoughts?

 

[caffeinebean]

PhDhopeful, i have a piece of advice regarding your email... if i were you, i'd make it seem like you're applying to the program because you want to work with that professor. the way you phrase it, you're telling them that you happened to come across them and think you'd be a good fit. it should be the other way around - you have your interests and you want to work with that researcher and therefore sought them out. does that make sense?

 

[leikcaj]

Having emailed a prof and gotten really friendly responses, I'm definitely of the belief that if nothing else, emailing a prof gives you a sense of what kind of mentor they will be. Too bad he's not taking any students next year!

 

[FutureClinPsyc]

What is the point in emailing professors? To work, volunteer in their lab, or what?

 

[joetro]

No, it's to ask if they are accepting students this year. If they are definitely not, then there's no point in applying. Keep in mind, though, that things can change ... so people can think they are accepting but then later on not be because other faculty have higher priorities for students.

 

[FutureClinPsyc]

What do you mean though if they are accepting students? Do you mean for clinical psychology, and graduate school? Why do you apply to see if they are accepting students? Don't they take so many every year at a continous flow? I don't understand, could you maybe explain more?

 

[joetro]

These e-mails relate to applying for graduate school. It's different than college where you apply to particular universities because of their reputation. With clinical psychology, you apply to work with a particular professor in a particular area. So even if say Harvard is the top clinical program, you wouldn't want to apply there if no one is doing work in your area of interest. And if Middle Alaska State has a weak program generally but a very strong person in your area, you may want to apply there.

Each professor usually only has a certain amount of space in their lab per year. If they already have a lot of graduate students, then they may not want to take on any more that year b/c they wouldn't be able to fund them off their grants, they don't feel like they could appropriately mentor them and all of their other students, etc, etc. There are also "infights" among other clinical psychology professors and even between programs as to how many slots a particular professor or the entire clinical program can have that year. It isn't like law school or medical school where programs take hundreds of people. Incoming clinical classes are often in the single digits. Usually, younger professors without tenure who are just starting to build up their labs will be a high priority for getting students, whereas professors with tenure and a long-standing history can be a bit lower on the priority scale.

Does this make sense? It's a bit difficult to describe, but the books that others have recommended also do a nice job explaining this process.

 

[PhDhopeful]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I have emailed professors and am getting great responses based on everyone's help. Does anyone have many interests? I know that I do. Granted there are two specific things that I have done research on, but I email professors if I think there work would be interesting, not only if i've done research in that area. Is that bad?

 

[FutureClinPsyc]

Ok the previous poster who replied back to me explained alot, so when you apply to graduate school you aren't applying to the school, you are applying to individual professors? What if you want to study clinical psychology in any area? Come to think of it, what are the areas of clinical psychology? Anyone have a good book on the whole detailed from graduating from undergraduate to applying, to getting accepted, and the life of it?