Admissions and preliminary correspondence

[dimitrix]

Dear Elizabeth,

I have one questions which is related to preliminary e-mail correspondence between me as a prospective student and professor at certain department. I attended your seminar, and you said we should contact professors at departments where we are interested to apply. OK, if I went through his or her publications and papers, learned something about his or her work, and then I decide to write him an inquiry letter. What should I ask him in concern to admissions procedure. I would express my interests in working with him or asking him if my academic profile matches his interests. But is the professor some significant factor at the admission process? Is he there to lobby for me if he or she is interested?

My question is what should I ask professor except that I would like to work in his research group? Something about available funding? Assistantships?  I've seen at web pages of college faculty that they don't like to be molested with admission questions, but respond only to research related questions.

Thank you,

Dimitrije

[elz]

Dear Dimitrix,

Yes, indeed admissions questions are inappropriate for professors.  However, most hard working professors that are engaged in research are quite happy to hear from students that are interested in the research being conducted.  When you express your interest in that way, it places you in the position of being suitable for a research assistantship or a teaching assistantship.  That is where the influence really is.  The admissions office does not award money.  

Admissions officers protect the integrity of the school and guard the value of the diploma by making sure that no rascals get in so to speak.  The professors, along with the graduate admissions committee, work together to determine which students to fund.  

I want to emphasize that you need to thoroughly research that department, what they are working on in that department, and make sure that it is something that is of great interest to you.  Under those circumstances, the letter writing to the professor should come quite easily to you.  

We also provide a seminar on how to do these things.  On the other hand, you sound like quite a self-starter.  Just think very carefully about what you say and you may want to write an initial letter and then re-read it.

Best,

Elz

[Beingness]

Hi Elizabeth,

if I could ask something regarding this matter... At what time, application-wise, would be the perfect time to contact a professor in each school of interest, before or after sending the application material?

I would just like to be sure that I uderstand the procedure. First I contact him regarding his research. I tell him that I am intending to apply to his program (do I try to convince him that I would choose him as my dissertation mentor eventually?).

We exchange a few mails and at one point he informs me that he finds me suitable to be included in his work after matriculation and that he will propose me for funding... ?

Have I fathomed the process correctly?

[elz]

Well to a great extent you have grasped the process...however, there is one thing that you are overlooking - namely that professors are humans and thus unpredictable.  Each professor most likely has his/her own way of handling these inquiries.  Thus, there are no hard and fast rules.

I think the timing is good if you have your application package ready to go.  It is also helpful if, at the time of writing, you have taken the necessary admission exams and can report very good scores.  This makes you a more realistic candidate and provides the professor with an objective evaluation of your abilities.  

You will be surprised at the varietiy of responses that you will most likely receive.  

Question 1: But is the professor some significant factor at the admission process? Is he there to lobby for me if he or she is interested?

Answer 1:  Remember group advising?  The admissions offices organizes your application and then sends your application to the department where it is examined by the committee.  In general, the Chair, professors, and other graduate students will sit on that committee.  So yes, indeed the professor can play a significant role in committee.  

Question 2:  My question is what should I ask professor except that I would like to work in his research group? Something about available funding? Assistantships?

Answer 2:  In my opinion, the best way to approach the funding issue is to combine the ideas that as an international student you would be interested in working in his/her research group and are there assistantships available.  

Issue:  I've seen at web pages of college faculty that they don't like to be molested with admission questions, but respond only to research related questions.

Answer:  Remember that there are two types of questions, admission questions and departmental questions.  However, asking about the availability of research assistantships or teaching assistantships is a departmental question.  However, if a professor states that they will only respond to research related questions, then take the hint and ask about the research going on in the department.  

You would most likely be surprised at some of the inappropriate questions that students ask.  It is ridiculous to ask a professor about admission standards.  Also some students try to have the standards of the admissions office changed in order to suit their profiles, which is quite unacceptable.  These are not questions that are appropriate to ask a professor.  More than anything, students need to use common sense when contacting professors.  Be tactful and thoughtful.  Show that you are focused on the program.