no reply from PhD supervisors!

I am currently applying for PhDs and have sent off a whole bunch of emails to potential supervisors for the availability of positions. My emails generally consist of a brief introduction of myself, why i wanted to do a PhD and interested in their labs, and also with a CV as attachementHowever, I haven´t had a reply yet! I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem? Any tips for attracting the supervisors´attention and get them to reply? Thanks a lot!!

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Reply 1

shiny

12

This is quite common and don't be discouraged. The big name academics have difficulty finding time to see their own students yet alone answering emails from people they do not know!!!

General tips are:

(1) Use a @{someuni}.ac.uk address.

(2) See if you can email someone else in the same research group (maybe a postdoc or a final year PhD student).

(3) If you are trying to contact a Professor {someone famous}, try emailing their personal or group secretary instead.

Reply 2

youngone

i suppose also as well to butter their egos and explain why you are applying to them in particular, so that they don't just feel that you are engaged in a mass spamming campaign.
good luck!

Reply 3

handbaglady

OP

I do construct a different email for each and every supervisor to explain why i find their reseach interesting.... but the problem is that dont seem to read the emails!!! I got one reply from a secretary after ONE MONTH - crazy. The problem is before I have received a reply I cant actually send off the application, so, I will have to wait!! Quite frustrating really.

youngone

i suppose also as well to butter their egos and explain why you are applying to them in particular, so that they don't just feel that you are engaged in a mass spamming campaign.
good luck!

Reply 4

Fluffy

15

Write to them. A lot of older lab heads do not like e-mail - hell, some don't even use their account!

I've been aquainted with a few peeps who only respond to a letter, or to people who have followed their departmental guidelines as set out on the department website.

Reply 5

shiny

12

handbaglady

I do construct a different email for each and every supervisor to explain why i find their reseach interesting.... but the problem is that dont seem to read the emails!!! I got one reply from a secretary after ONE MONTH - crazy. The problem is before I have received a reply I cant actually send off the application, so, I will have to wait!! Quite frustrating really.

There is no secret formula really. And you might actually find that some only really want to discuss stuff only after you've actually applied ...

Reply 6

fleur-de-lis

1

handbaglady

I am currently applying for PhDs and have sent off a whole bunch of emails to potential supervisors for the availability of positions. My emails generally consist of a brief introduction of myself, why i wanted to do a PhD and interested in their labs, and also with a CV as attachementHowever, I haven´t had a reply yet! I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem? Any tips for attracting the supervisors´attention and get them to reply? Thanks a lot!!

.

Your format seems good, but maybe you can elaborate on your research skills as well, and show them why exactly you have an edge over other applicants. I agree with the other posts- some academics tend not to prefer e-mail communication. If you are very interested, you could always ring them up or send them a snail mail. Better, if you ask for an appointment and talk to them in person. This would show how much interested you are in their work.

Reply 7

deb5169

I wanted to get on to a fully funded PhD over the summer and despite applying for about 10, I didnt get one single response and ended up starting a MSc instead! Hoping for better luck next year.

Reply 8

Fluffy

15

You ideally need to apply about 12 months in advance...

Reply 9

thisway

Hey handbaglady!

Although it’s been a while since you posted you’re message, if your still applying for doctoral study you might find these tips useful:

1.make sure the academics you’re approaching have an interest in your research area (this one’s obvious, but it leads into the next…)

2.find out what research these academics are currently working on. Have they received funding from the AHRB, the ESRC, or any other funding body for a current or forthcoming project? If they have, find out what the funding was for and see if your research interests match those of the project in any way. Could you possibly act as a research assistant to the academic?

3.basically, an academic is likely to look upon your application favourably if they clearly see that i) you have an interest in their work and ii) that you can support them in their work.

4.offer to visit the academic, this shows that you’re really interested in their work- you might want to go during a graduate open day.

5.contacting a graduate student at the department who may be familiar with the academic is a great idea.

6.try to have something not too controversial published, this suggests that your serious about academia. Though if you don’t think you have any work of publishable quality, don’t worry about it.

7.attend conferences and present papers, this is a great way to meet several academics at once, postulate your ideas and arguments, and do a great PR job in person!

This is a bit harsh but needs to be said; while some academics wont get back to you because they’re really busy, others wont get back to you because they’re not interested in your work (and they’re just too rude to mail back and let you know!), so make sure you’re not wasting your time.

Reply 10

I like chips

I thought i should add, phoning up your potential supervisor is a pretty good idea. it shows you're genuinely interested in them and not just blasting out louds of emails hoping for a response. It might seem a bit daunting but if you know your stuff then you should be alright. it depends a bit on the person, but in my experience most of them are really helpful, even if they can't offer you anything. if they're rude to you and not willing to spare a couple of minutes for you then they're probably not worth applying to anyway

Reply 11

Seppe

yeah, just give them a call and ask if you can go to their office to have a chat about it!

no reply from PhD supervisors!

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