Written by Josh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

When admissions committee members review college applications, they basically sort PDFs based on slight differences between the data in them. To them, you are just a series of numbers and what is probably a very standard essay. Interfacing with a professor at your top-choice college can enable a candidate to become more than just a PDF. However, college professors are busy and often egotistical, so the question is how to approach a professor in a way that will give you the maximal chance of success.

First, you’ll have to read the professor’s last two-to-three publications, in detail, and develop some deep, insightful, and unique opinions on the methods and/or findings. It is important to read papers that are no more than one year old, because the projects through which these papers have been produced will likely be ongoing, funded, and led by current students. 

Next, you’ll have to craft an email that is concise, yet compelling enough to elicit a response. Before I get into how to do that, it will be important to CC an administrative assistant whenever possible. Again, professors are busy and often bad at handling their workload, so CCing an administrative assistant or lab manager can improve the likelihood of a response because these employees help manage the professor’s professional life.

Okay, so how to craft an email: The first pillars of a good email are to be concise, honest, and explicit. When a busy person opens up a long email from someone who wants something from him or her, it can seem daunting and frankly, annoying. You’ll want to be as straightforward as possible regarding who you are and what you want. Very few professors will imagine what to do for you. You’ll have to strategically guide that person toward what you want.

Second, you should demonstrate that you have read that person’s recent work and analyzed it in a unique, proficient, and insightful way. This has to be done with an absolute minimum of word length. Basically, you should indicate what the paper is about and why you think it can be impactful. Next, you should connect the content of that paper to what you want to research. Here, it is important that you will be as specific as possible. Never write in generalities. If you make a claim, then support it with logic and/or evidence.

Third, you’ll have to explicitly outline for the professor what you want from him or her. This could be a single Zoom session to discuss his or her work and get advice regarding your application. However, you should avoid asking professors for advice regarding how to become an ideal candidate. This is best done through friends, current students, and admissions officers. It would be better to ask for advice and/or mentorship on a related, independent project; a shadowing opportunity; and/or an internship. Again, be explicit and do not be afraid of asking for what you want. This will cut out a lot of guesswork and frustration for both parties. The worst a professor can say is ‘no.’

If you do propose an independent project, then you’ll have to clearly and concisely summarize the hypotheses, specific methods, and important variables or measurements that will be involved in the research. Here, it will be crucial to emphasize the financial and chronological feasibility of the project, and point out that you will need minimal supervision. I recommend asking for a monthly Zoom meeting with a professor and biweekly meetings with a PhD candidate or postdoc.

Finally, you should thank the professor for his or her time and propose three windows of time, over the following two weeks, during which you can meet. Then, take the responsibility of setting up the video call and sending invites to relevant parties. You can certainly attach a resume and/or related work to the email, but again, be careful of sending too much information to go through. The entire email should be no more than three paragraphs and each paragraph should consist of four-to-five sentences.

I’ll leave you with some final words of advice. The first is that it is always better to strategically guide someone toward what you want by framing your proposal in terms of what you can do for that person. People who ask for things from others will always be seen in a poorer light than those who offer help to others. With respect to approaching a professor, I would emphasize the help you can give him or her regarding a current project, grant proposal, data analysis, etc. It will also be easier to propose collaborations that can be done remotely. However, this will not confine you to computational work. Fabrication and experimentation can also be done in your local labs, fabrication facilities, and/or computer centers. Get creative. Finally, be grateful and strategic. Never hesitate to ask for letters of recommendation, connections, or support, but only after you’ve sufficiently impressed someone with your performance.