Academic culture isn’t always intuitive. Once you’ve identified what those might be, many undergraduates don’t receive the mentoring they require to successfully pursue their career goals (and this is true at every career stage, really). The idea of graduate school can be intimidating if you are a college student who has some inkling that you might need more education to pursue your dream job, or at least determine what that is. I’ve discovered that many students are ill-prepared for the process of finding a mentor and reaching out with that initial, inquiry email as I go through my second round of graduate applicants. It’s unfortunate because that is the very first step in the procedure; you might be preventing yourself from achieving your dreams by doing that.
This guide is for you if you don’t know where to begin, are applying to schools without having spoken to a mentor, know the difference between a resume and a CV, or are spamming list-servs with emails about how much you love the natural world and how hard you work (pro-tip: don’t do this).
Get field and lab experience while you’re still in college. Find opportunities to work in laboratories before you even consider applying to graduate school. It’s acceptable if you are not interested in Drosophila research; working in a Drosophila lab will teach you a lot about the scientific method and give you a significant advantage when applying. Additionally, you’ll gain an understanding of your preferences, dislikes, and areas of strength and weakness. Look for positions at your university and keep an eye out for job postings for summer research assistants in society directories. Here is a nice collection of resources from the ESA Student Section.
Cultivate relationships with potential letter writers. Letters of recommendation from approximately three references are required as part of your graduate school application. These should ideally come from scientists you’ve collaborated with, a mentor, or professors you’ve taken several courses with. You want these to be people who can really comment on your work ethic, ability to work independently and with others, sense of drive, and creative thinking skills, among other qualities. Do not ask the professor who taught the 300-student lecture you took three years ago for a letter of recommendation. Ideally, letters can help bolster applications with holes, e. “Tom had a difficult academic beginning but really came into his own when he discovered ecology, and I’m confident that he’s found his groove and will be an excellent asset to any lab,” g said. Keep in mind that you won’t typically ever see the contents of these letters, so make sure they come from people who know you and can speak well of you.
Read papers. My undergraduate advisor’s best advice to me when it came to getting ready for graduate school was to read a lot. I was interested in paleoecology but had no idea what was available, so I dove into the literature and created a wish list of researchers who were carrying out fascinating research.
Organize your CV. A curriculum vitae, also known as a CV, is similar to an academic resume but is not one. I repeat: A CV is not a resume. A CV may be longer than a page and should contain all pertinent information about the candidate, such as their educational background, work history, publications, presentations, honors and awards, etc. Before creating your own CV, I strongly advise reading several, especially from researchers at various stages of their careers. For the majority of the sections you see on examples, you may not have much as an undergraduate, but you can also add other components (e. g. , pertinent coursework) that you would subsequently drop as you advance Avoid including part-time jobs that aren’t directly related to the work you want to do on your CV. For example, being a wilderness first responder is acceptable but being a bakery cashier is not. Starting a CV as early in your career as you can, and adding honors, research experiences, and other accomplishments over time (trust me, you’ll forget), is something I strongly advise. Start here if you’re unsure of the distinction between a CV and a resume.
Write a concise, tailored, informative, and mature inquiry email. You may have come across an advertisement for a funding opportunity you’re really interested in or you may have a wish list of potential advisors. If not, review the literature, consult your undergraduate advisor, and decide who you want to collaborate with. If you don’t have a faculty advisor who is willing to work with you, you are very unlikely to be accepted to a graduate program, at least in the sciences.
I recently read your article, “Snails are way cooler than slugs,” and I’m really interested in the role that shells play in determining an animal’s awesomeness. At the University of Science, where I am a senior and working with Dr. Advisor for a senior thesis linking beetles’ shiny wings to their coolness using methods our lab has developed Until recently, my background was in plants, and I was wondering if you’ve considered testing whether the plant the snail is on affects how awesome it is. I’ll be graduating this fall with a BS in Biology, and I was wondering if you have any graduate opportunities available in your lab. In graduate school, I’d like to apply my research to conservation, specifically in relation to climate change and other threats. My career aspiration is to become a research professor at the intersection of cool landscapes and conservation biology, with a strong focus on policy.
Not “hey prof” or “Hi Mrs. “, but the proper salutation is used in this letter. Darwin” or “Yo,” or “Hi Chaz. ”). Seriously, I haven’t replied to any emails from “Mrs.” ” — or worse, “Mr. ” Gill” (It’s Dr. Gill, Professor Gill, or, at the very least, Jacquelyn Gill. Spell the name correctly. By connecting your interests with the researcher’s through the use of a tailored inquiry, as I have done in my example, you demonstrate that you are not on a fishing expedition and that you have done your research. The example also gives Dr. Darwin has a better understanding of your interests and objectives.
Don’t lie, but don’t be your own worst enemy. Even if you are unsure of your research interests and objectives, be honest about them. Of course, thinking deeply about what those objectives actually might be is a crucial step in this process. Don’t be afraid to aim high and sound confident because some advisors won’t be interested in working with you unless your goals are to obtain a PhD and work at a major research university. Having said that, if it’s not true, don’t assert that you must obtain a PhD in order to pursue the same course of study as your potential advisor and to work at a prestigious research university. It’s acceptable if you want to use graduate school as a test to see if you want to pursue a career in academia; just be honest about it without sounding evasive. Avoid treating the inquiry letter like a therapy session; keep personal information to a minimum and focus on the positive. Don’t trash talk your previous advisors or institutions. Do not copy and paste text from the website of your prospective advisor after the phrase “I would really like to research____.” Don’t falsely state that you are applying to other programs; even if you don’t end up studying with someone, they may still review your grant applications or academic papers. In other words, avoid sounding too tailored and be sincere, open-minded, and enthusiastic without being manipulative Don’t be afraid to sound enthusiastic, but keep your language professional (don’t use poetry or hyperbole). It’s true that finding a balance between all of these things can be challenging, but keep in mind that if you’re being dishonest or overly sincere, it will come across. A draft of your email should always be shown to others before you send it, including your undergraduate advisor!
Don’t approach inquiries from graduate schools as if you were applying for a job at a marketing firm. When it comes to assisting students with applying for academic positions, career services centers are frequently woefully underprepared (see the discussion of the resume vs. CV above). Avoid using what I refer to as “business school language” in your inquiry letter. Observe how I left out statements like, “I am a highly motivated student, committed to academic excellence,” from the example above. That’s what I want to see in your recommendation letters, not in your email of inquiry. In other words, show, don’t tell. Your brain is what you need to sell yourself to me first. I want to know if you have the mental capacity to work in the lab and can think creatively and critically. Your resume should indicate whether you are a high achiever, whether you have conducted extensive fieldwork under challenging circumstances, and whether you have published. If your undergraduate thesis is listed on your CV, it is useless to state that you “have experience in conceptualizing, carrying out, and bringing to fruition an original research project,” as this will only come across as stiff or grasping.
Make sure you provide all information requested in the proper format. It’s possible that you decide to respond to an advertisement rather than send a professor a cold email. If so, make sure to strictly adhere to the instructions and submit a CV (not a resume or a resume that looks like a CV), a cover letter (only if requested), and any additional pertinent information. Don’t attach your transcripts, GRE scores, etc. unless explicitly asked for them. Despite how obvious it may seem, many emails I receive fail to follow instructions.
While the process of applying to graduate school can be stressful, you can minimize the stress by doing some research and sending targeted, well-written emails to the professors you are interested in working with. Professors are notoriously busy and frequently poor email communicators, so they might not respond anyway, but they’ll be much more likely to reply than if you use the shotgun method. If the researcher politely informs you that they are unable to provide funding, it is always a good idea to look into graduate funding opportunities both nationally (such as the NSF GRFP) and locally at the institution of your choice. Nowadays, the first email is almost always the start of graduate school; it’s the modern equivalent of a foot in the door. Along with advocating for you and assisting you with the application process, your prospective advisor will also be your mentor for the next two to eight years as you grow into an academic adult. Your letter must convince them that you are a worthy investment of their time, money, and resources by demonstrating your independence, intellectual maturity, and professionalism in order to do well in school. Don’t blow it!.
You should not actually use the terms “awesome” or “coolness” in your letter, as I did in my joking example, John Anderson—my undergraduate advisor!—notes in the comments. Those should be changed with appropriate scientific terms in a real-world example. John is also to be credited for a lot of the tips I’m sharing about writing a properly formatted letter. It got me into graduate school, after all.
Why is it important to send a graduate school inquiry email?
You can gain a few advantages by sending a graduate school inquiry email. First, you can find out whether the professor is accepting new students by getting in touch with them before applying. A graduate school inquiry email also introduces you to the program’s director, which is another advantage. In contrast to just applying, you can tell us more about yourself in a graduate school inquiry email.
Sometimes, the professor may write back with useful information. For instance, based on the research interests you’ve indicated, they might suggest a different program. Before applying, the inquiry email is a great way to start a conversation with a professor to make sure you’re applying to the program that best suits your needs.
What is a graduate school inquiry email?
An email to a university faculty member who oversees a graduate school program is known as a graduate school inquiry email. You introduce yourself to the professor in this email and express your desire to enroll in their graduate program. Before submitting an application to a program, prospective graduate students frequently send an inquiry email, though it’s not always necessary.
What to include in a graduate school inquiry email
You can include a number of crucial components in your graduate school inquiry email, including:
How to write a graduate school inquiry email
The six steps you can use to write a graduate school inquiry email are as follows:
1. Create a subject line
The subject line is the first line that the professor sees in your email because it appears in their inbox. When the professor opens their inbox, it’s crucial to write a professional subject line that they can immediately recognize. In order to make the email’s purpose clear, try to include the words “prospective graduate student” in the subject line.
2. Greet the recipient
A greeting for the recipient should be the first thing in the email. The professor in charge of the program or department is typically who you should contact with questions about graduate school. Use the professor’s name and title when addressing them, such as “Professor Smith” or “Dr. Jones. ”.
3. Introduce yourself
Start the email by introducing yourself to the professor after the salutation so they know who you are and why you are emailing them. Include your full name, your status in school at the moment, and the institution you attend. Give a brief description of the graduate program for which you are applying and your anticipated start date.
4. State your desire
You can go into more detail about why you’re applying to them specifically after your introduction. You can talk about how you found out about their program and what about it drew your attention during your search. Saying that you read one of their papers or heard them speak at a conference, for instance After that, discuss your interest in the subject and how you think enrolling in graduate school will advance your education.
5. Describe your experience
Write about your prior experience in this field in the following section of your graduate school inquiry email. You might discuss your undergraduate coursework, completed internships, research projects, or professional experiences, for instance. Show off your skills in relation to the professors’ program using this section.
6. Close the email
Finish your email by asking for further consideration. Inquire further with the professor about enrolling in a graduate program. Attach these in a separate file and request that the professor review them as part of your application materials if the professor requested any specific information, such as GRE scores or references. Finish the email by signing off and including your full name.
Example of a graduate school inquiry email
An illustration of a graduate school program inquiry email is provided below:
Subject: Spring 2022 Prospective Graduate Student Inquiry
Dear Dr. Melvin,
Andrea Johnson is my name, and I am a senior studying psychology at Alpino University. I’m currently looking for a behavioral science graduate program for the 2022 spring semester. After learning about graduate student research conducted last year on the genetic influences on human behavior, I feel it is in line with my own areas of interest. I’m thinking about applying for a graduate research position with your program.
I finished a research project under Dr. during my undergraduate studies. Mendelsohn into how children react to different stimulants. This initial research project was what really motivated me to continue learning about this topic. Your lab, in my opinion, is the ideal setting for this.
I would love to talk to you about the program in your department and whether I would be a good fit. I’ve attached my GRE results and two professor references as requested on your website. I’ve also included my resume and cover letter so you can learn more about my qualifications.
I appreciate your time and consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Andrea Johnson
How To Write An Email To A Professor For Graduate School Admission? ( Contacting Professors )
FAQ
How do you write an email to a Masters?
I sincerely appreciate your consideration, time, and any feedback you may have for me. A letter of acceptance from you would help my application materials if you could give me the chance to pursue my higher education under your kind supervision. Waiting for your response.
How do you express interest in a graduate program?
- Step #1 – Investigate your school of interest. …
- Step #2 – Question your motives and craft responses. …
- Step #3 – Develop a mini-profile of your accomplishments. …
- Step #4 – Keep your resume professional. …
- Step #5 – List any special skills or talents you have.
How do you title an email to a professor for graduate school?
The word PROSPECTIVE STUDENT should be in the subject line. The catch is that no professor would ever delete an email from a prospective student because you could attend the university and they would read it, respond, or forward it to the appropriate person if they did not already know.
