Letter to POI after submitting application

[197327]

Hello! I am wondering if I should send a letter to POIs after submitting application if I did not contact them beforehand. I have some schools which I did and others which I did not. I was thinking of just sending an email to each professor I mentioned in the personal statement as an information introduction and to inform them of my intentions and interests in working with them. Is this waste of time at this point?

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[thewesternsky]

Don't send it. At this point, you have no real reason to contact them other than to get your name on their computer screen. They're very busy people, and they can read all that info in your Statement of Purpose.

 

[KillerDiller]

Don't send it. At this point, you have no real reason to contact them other than to get your name on their computer screen. They're very busy people, and they can read all that info in your Statement of Purpose.

I agree. The main point of contacting professors is to make sure they are taking on students for the upcoming school year. You are past the point where that matters now.

 

[neurogirl23]

Hi,

I am in this situation now. I was in contact with most of my POIs before sending in the clinical psych phd applications but I am wondering if it is ok (or recommended) to send an additional e-mail saying that I did apply and am excited to hear back or hear about interviews. I guess a way of keeping in contact and putting the name out there to follow up. Would this be over the top? or a good follow up? Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[clinpsych]

I agree with previous posters that contacting potential advisors after submitting applications is not a good idea (and would be somewhat of a nuisance).

Good luck to everyone applying this year!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

They are wicked busy, so I'd hold off. After the (hopeful) interview may be more appropiate, especially if they offer the option to followup and/or let them know if you get another offer. They are coming back from the holidays and have hundreds of e-mails to read.

 

[okayroots06]

Hello! I am wondering if I should send a letter to POIs after submitting application if I did not contact them beforehand. I have some schools which I did and others which I did not. I was thinking of just sending an email to each professor I mentioned in the personal statement as an information introduction and to inform them of my intentions and interests in working with them. Is this waste of time at this point?

I am going to slightly disagree with the comments above. If you do plan to email the PI, make it brief and mention you applied to work with them and thank them for the consideration. The key is making it real brief and it won't hurt to attach a CV.

This is based from my observations and experience working with several top NIMH grant getters who take 2-3 students a year (Research 1).

 

[bluebluesky]

can you give a little more details?
how did the followup emails work? Thanks.

I am going to slightly disagree with the comments above. If you do plan to email the PI, make it brief and mention you applied to work with them and thank them for the consideration. The key is making it real brief and it won't hurt to attach a CV.

This is based from my observations and experience working with several top NIMH grant getters who take 2-3 students a year (Research 1).

 

[bluebluesky]

Hello! I am wondering if I should send a letter to POIs after submitting application if I did not contact them beforehand. I have some schools which I did and others which I did not. I was thinking of just sending an email to each professor I mentioned in the personal statement as an information introduction and to inform them of my intentions and interests in working with them. Is this waste of time at this point?

I also wonder the same question. One of my concerns is that it may be a little late. The professor may have been reviewing files already and emailing right now would show them that you are applying late?
I am not sure. It's a question for me too.

 

[okayroots06]

I also wonder the same question. One of my concerns is that it may be a little late. The professor may have been reviewing files already and emailing right now would show them that you are applying late?
I am not sure. It's a question for me too.

It is never too late esp. if you applied. If you have great experience, good marks, etc. and you send them a short email and possibly a CV, it could spark some interest.

Individuals here may agree against it bec. they are too busy and that is true but never too busy to read an outstanding application or applicant.

 

[psich]

I also read on a post here that maintaining contact with a POI is important throughout the admissions process, but I only contacted them before applying to determine whether or not they were accepting students next fall.

Also, I would have to echo the sentiments of the other posters here - I don't think it's necessary to contact them now since your application is already in and they are already very busy at this time. I don't think it will help it all and it may be an annoyance, if anything. There are often hundreds of applicants to a program - is a POI really going to remember your name amongst the others, on top of other responsibilities, such as grants, current students/advisees, classes, research, various other commitments, etc.?

If you did not contact the POI before applying, I don't know if contacting them now will make a positive difference. The only instance where I would suggest an applicant contact a POI is if they are an exceptional fit for the program.

 

[FuturePhD2]

It is never too late esp. if you applied. If you have great experience, good marks, etc. and you send them a short email and possibly a CV, it could spark some interest.

Individuals here may agree against it bec. they are too busy and that is true but never too busy to read an outstanding application or applicant.

Disagree - they already have your CV with your application materials. If you don't have a specific reason to contact them at this point, it'll likely be seen more as an annoyance. Faculty are busy reviewing applications, preparing for classes to start, and with research activity. This is likely not going to get you on their radar in a good way.

 

[okayroots06]

Disagree - they already have your CV with your application materials. If you don't have a specific reason to contact them at this point, it'll likely be seen more as an annoyance. Faculty are busy reviewing applications, preparing for classes to start, and with research activity. This is likely not going to get you on their radar in a good way.

That is fine if you disagree. However, there is no guarantee the PI will remember unless you happen to be a RA or Coordinator of a fellow colleague.

I stressed the importance of keeping it extremely brief. There is no right or wrong way to contact PI (to a certain extent) and will vary from each individual.

My lab takes 3-4 grad. students a year and has no issues with applicants emailing the PI. Indeed, this won't be true for all schools but some PI's do not mind. If they explicitly express on their website do contact them about admission related questions, then don't contact them.

Given that I am from X University, a top-heavy research program, this prob. won't be true for other schools. Case in point, the call is yours. No one will be upset if you keep it brief and express interest if you have not done so (assuming you applied already).

 

[postitnote]

If you have received an invitation to interview from a coordinator or DCT, by all means, contact your PI and let them know you were excited to get an interview, you plan to attend, and you're looking forward to meeting them. If you've already applied and haven't heard from them, I think a follow-up letter would be viewed as an annoyance.

 

[Mauricia]

I just asked one of my professors who is accepting a grad student this year and he said this would annoy him. This doesn't mean it would annoy everyone, but I'm just throwing it out there that it would annoy at least one POI!

 

[ClinChildPsy13]

I don't think there is one answer to this question. I would guess it really depends on your POI's personality. Some really like contact throughout the process. I can think of one professor who would be happy to reply to e-mails after receiving apps. However, I know another professor who would be bothered by it and simply write back something like they are still in the process of reviewing apps (if she were to even write back at all). Just my perspective knowing the professors I have worked with.

That being said, I haven't contacted any of the professors I applied to work with after submitting application, except for 2 of them. One because I really wanted to work with her but she wasn't accepting students from clinical psy and wanted to let her know I put down another POI but that I was still interested in her research as well. And the second for a very similar reason.

Best of luck in figuring out ther right avenue for you. There are so many unknowns in this process that it is easy to second guess every decision.