Is it necessary/advisable to contact POIs prior to applying to programs

[psych.meout]

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One of the programs to which I'm interested in applying this fall had already listed which POIs will be taking students for this cohort.

Is it necessary and/or advisable to contact the POI anyways to express interest before applying, e.g. To be on their radar or whatever, or is it more of an annoyance to them since the info is already available and obviously I'm interested if I'm applying?

If it makes a difference, I did email this person last fall to similarly inquire, but I ended up not applying, because I felt I did not have sufficient research experience to make me competitive for the program or to work with them.

 

[temppsych123]

Yes, this is always a good idea. Even if you know they are taking students, you can tailor your email to them to get yourself on their radar, find out what projects they're planning on working on, what kind of student they're looking for, whether your interests are a good fit, etc. For example, when I was applying to schools, I had a person who did PTSD work that I was interested in working with, who had just gotten a large multi-year grant to do research on alcohol abuse and trauma in vets. Totally not my thing, and my grad school experience would have been totally different if I had ended up there. It's good to keep in mind that what people have published on before doesn't always mean they'll keep publishing in that area, or that they might not shift focus or direction - the only way to know about that is to ask!

 

[MCParent]

I disagree. It's not wise to try to create a reason to email someone if your main question (e.g., whether they are taking students) is answered on the department website. Faculty get tons of emails from prospective students each cycle and cold emailing will not get them to remember you. If you have a legitimate question, then by all means email. But don't send needless email because you think you'll grab their attention that way.

Yup, much better to just ask if they're taking anyone in a short email.

 

[Wendi22]

Yeah, I agree that simply emailing them to have them see your name is not a great idea. If I did not have a legitimate question, I avoided emailing. They are busy and if you are a stand out applicant/ good fit for the program your application should get picked for interview. They get so many applicants each cycle. I emailed some professors (not all because it is not always best) after getting invited to interview if I had questions I could not answer via the website or any other resources they provided. Just my opinion and what I did....


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[EmotRegulation]

As a faculty member, I can say (for myself at least), that it is NOT a good idea to email someone just so they see your name. I recently had someone email me and ask "tell me about your research." I don't have time for that, and there is plenty of information on my CV (and my website) that indicates the kind of stuff I do. So, that just annoyed me. I'm happy to answer specific questions, but the general ones are not a good idea.

I also don't really like people asking me if I'm taking a student if it's clearly marked on my website. Some years I have had "Dr. EmotRegulation plans to take a student for Fall 2014" (or whatever semester) on my website and so it irritates me that someone would ask me. If it's unclear or my website is out of date, then a question is completely warranted. However, please know that it is quite early to be asking that question. Some faculty (who have multi year grant funding) might know they intend to take a student, but others may have to wait to discuss faculty and/or department priorities before they decide one way or another. Waiting until early September is probably your best bet for asking those kinds of questions.

 

[temppsych123]

Sorry, I should clarify (this is what happens when I post late at night) - I don't think you should make up a reason or ask professors information that's widely available on the website. Asking if they're taking a student when they already say they are isn't a good idea, nor is asking them about previous research if it's widely available on their website. I think it's valuable, though, to be able to ask questions about faculty member's current/future research plans and where a new student might fit into that. Or if you have legitimate questions about their lab, their program, etc. For example, I research a very specific area that used to be my advisor's niche, and he's recently moved almost completely into a new, related, but distinct area. If you look at his previous publications (and even recent ones, since I'm still publishing in the first area) it'll look like he researches both areas, but in fact, he's definitely only looking for grad students interested in the new area. I suppose the relevance of this will depend on how specific your research focus is (e.g., if you really want to study area X, you definitely want to know if that faculty member is still doing that before applying, whereas if you're more interested in working with someone because of the methods they use, the program, etc., maybe not as valuable). And, of course, this is based on my application experience (emailed folks ahead of time, got positive responses from all but one faculty member about the fact that I'd reached out, was able to meet with the person who eventually became my PI at a conference well before I submitted my application) and how my current PI identifies good grad student candidates, but I'm sure there's variability in programs.