What percent of professors have open positions for new grad students?

[Simfish]

It seems that most professors seem to have positions open for undergrads (although undergrads don't need pay).

But what about graduate students? Is it a good idea to *always* email any prospective advisor, asking him if he has open positions available for new grad students? It seems that professors in theoretical fields can usually afford fewer grad students than those in applied fields.

 

[edgepflow]

What worked for me was to go on campus a couple weeks or so before fall semester starts. Just walk to their office, introduce yourself, and ask if they have any positions for graduate students. You may be surprised how many have available openings.

 

[Simfish]

Oh, I actually meant emailing them before you apply to grad school.

 

[cristo]

Don't you choose an advisor way after the first year of grad school in the US?

 

[Simfish]

It's often advised that prospective grad students contact professors they'd like to work with before admissions. Some people even get professors to vouch favorably for them.

What I'm wondering is this - how often are they able to take grad students? If they're able to take them most of the time, then these emails sound quite unnecessarily repetitive.

Having done all this, you will have narrowed down your list of candidate departments. You are now in a position to establish contact with each of the professors who you are still strongly interested in. Send each one a customized e-mail message, no more than a few hundred words in length. This message should do four things: (1) demonstrate knowledge of their research, (2) explain that you are looking for the right PhD program, (3) explain the general research area you are interested in working in, and (4) ask them whether they are taking on new students. Don't make it sound like you're asking for a commitment at this point, just a conversation to determine whether you should apply.

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/grad-school.html

 

[Andy Resnick]

It seems that most professors seem to have positions open for undergrads (although undergrads don't need pay).

But what about graduate students? Is it a good idea to *always* email any prospective advisor, asking him if he has open positions available for new grad students? It seems that professors in theoretical fields can usually afford fewer grad students than those in applied fields.

Every department is different, but I can only take students (undergrad or grad) when I have money to pay them. My institution makes a lot of money available for paying undergrads- so far I have been able to regularly employ undergrads during the summer ('senior project' work, where course credit is involved, is different), but only recently have I had funds available for grad students.

 

[twofish-quant]

It's often advised that prospective grad students contact professors they'd like to work with before admissions. Some people even get professors to vouch favorably for them.

It's not a bad thing, but I don't think it's essential.

One thing that I think you should realize is that the link you are citing is several years old, and was written back in the stone ages when e-mail was a rather new thing. As time passes, information overload and spam is a bigger issue in 2011 than it was in 1996, so the effectiveness of it goes way done.

In 1996, a professor getting an e-mail from a undergraduate was somewhat unusual. It's 2011, and the more people do it, the less effective it will be.

One thing I do recommend is to e-mail *graduate students* that you think you will be working with. The reason for writing graduate students is that you will often get better information.

What I'm wondering is this - how often are they able to take grad students?

It depends on the department, but most departments won't admit graduate students that they can't find professors for.

If they're able to take them most of the time, then these emails sound quite unnecessarily repetitive.

They are. But do remember in reading that document that it was written in a different era.

You grew up with e-mail and the web, so you have to put yourself in the mind set of someone writing in a time when is was weird and new.