The Goal
There are two main purposes for a cold e-mail to a potentiial advisor:
- To learn specific information about their research program, or the graduate program in general, to decide whether you want to apply or to inform your application.
- To leave the faculty member with a positive impression, so that when they review your application or hear from you after admission they remember you as ‘that person I had a thoughtful discussion with’.
I can’t think of another useful purpose these e-mails might accomplish.
Your e-mail should be written to accomplish these toals.
Can I join your group?
I often get e-mails asking if someone can join my group.
The answer to this is never ‘yes’, and I expect this is true of many other faculty as well.
First, I do not control admissions. Even if I were on the admissions committee, it would not be my decision alone. If I am particularly impressed with a candidate, I may talk to the admissions committee to check on their application or follow up to make sure the pieces are in place, but this is almost never as a result of the ‘can I join your group?’ question.
Second, I don’t know who else will apply. If I am looking to take on one new student, I won’t offer the slot to the first person who asks; I want to look at the field of applicants who have passed the admissions bar and see who looks like the best candidate. I also want to look at their complete application packet, and probably interview them.
You may learn ‘no’, for example if the professor’s capacity is currently full, or they are close to retirement or a sabbatical.
Learning Information
If you want to get a reply, ask one or two specific questions that you can’t just look up on the professor or program’s web site.