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So you're applying to grad school ... how do you get big fancy scientists to talk to you about their labs???

You’re applying to graduate school, congratulations! We’re here to provide insight into the sometimes murky waters of how to find a spot in a lab with research that you’re excited about. For Ocean Science programs, you’ll typically start by emailing faculty members whose work excites you and you can envision spending 5 - 7 years working on. 

Here we provide a guide for how to “cold” email professors you don’t know, including the best information to provide about your academic interests, tips for what type of information the professor might like to know about you, and example templates of what a cold email to a potential advisor might look like. 

We’ll also discuss what to do when you get a response (and how to proceed if you don’t get a response, which is just as common!).

Dos & Don'ts for Cold-Emailing

Do

  • Be concise and to the point
  • Check your spelling and grammar!
  • Include your full name and undergraduate degree and institution
  • Be polite and refer to the Principal Investigator (PI, this is the faculty member you’re interested in) as Dr. or Professor.
  • Show that you know the research focus of the lab and how it differs from other labs in the same field/department
  • Include a CV or resume* and a copy of your unofficial transcript**
  • Distinguish yourself from other applicants by stating a particular project you’re interested in and any relevant research experience you have
  • Ask if the PI is taking students
  • Ask to set up a conversation to learn more
  • Be confident!

 

*What’s a CV and what’s the difference between that and a resume? CV = “Curriculum vitae,” and is similar to a resume. In the academic world, it’s what scientists use instead of a resume to describe their work history. The main difference is that a resume is typically only one page long, whereas a CV can be longer and more detailed, including aspects of your academic accomplishments such as the citations of any papers you have published in scholarly journals. Remember: You don’t NEED to have already published a scientific article before you apply to grad school (see our previous article here). But if you have, the format of a CV is a good way to show off that information.

 

**What if you had a semester on your transcript that doesn't show the best of your academic ability? It's ok to acknowledge this and provide a brief explanation (Ex: "Due to a sports injury during my sophomore fall semester, I wasn't able to complete a full course load, but caught up on my required classes the next semester.")

 

Don’t

  • Write an essay
  • Assume a first-name basis
  • List every accomplishment you have (you’re attaching a CV or resume, remember?)

Here’s a template you might use for a cold email:

Dear Dr. Scientist,

I’m writing to inquire about opportunities for graduate students in your lab starting in the 20xx-20xx academic year. I am … (Include 1-2 sentences saying where you went to undergrad, what you majored in, and what you do now if you have left school). I am currently applying to Ph.D. programs in (oceanography/geosciences/environmental engineering … whatever is the best summary for you) and am excited to learn more about your lab.

Specifically, I’m interested in your lab because of its focus on x (Note: x should be more specific than “oceanography” or “pollution,” but does not need to be as specific as “the complete oxidation of polystyrene to carbon dioxide by sunlight.” You want to show that you have looked at the lab’s website and/or read some abstracts of recent papers and that you know how the general research focus of this lab differs from others in the same program. A good level of specificity might be: “the fate of organic pollutants in the ocean.”) I was excited to read about your recent projects on y (Here you could refer to a particular project you read about on the lab website or in a paper) and would love to learn more about it! (Notably, many lab websites are years out of date, so it may be the case that projects listed on the lab website no longer exist. Not to fear! Recent papers, particularly those with current students, post docs, or the faculty member as the first author are the best resource for knowing what the lab is working on.)

I believe my background in z (ex: your major, such as “chemical engineering”) would make me a good fit for your lab. As a student, I completed a research project on w (ex: polymer synthesis), using instrumentation such as v (ex: NMR, GC-MS). You’ll find my CV with more details on my research experience, and a copy of my unofficial transcript, attached. 

Please let me know if you have any openings in your lab and if you have the time to set up a conversation about your current research projects.

Thank you for your time!

Best,

Your Full Name

Job Description or Major

Employer/School

What might this look like all filled in?

 

Dear Dr. Lilac,

I’m writing to inquire about opportunities for graduate students in your lab starting in the 2021-2022 academic year. I am a rising senior at Magnolia Tree College in Forsythia Town, MA, majoring in Flower Chemistry. I am currently applying to Ph.D. programs in Pretty Flower Health Sciences, and am excited to learn more about your lab.

Specifically, I’m interested in your lab because of its focus on the impact of coastal erosion on Pretty Flowers. I was excited to read about your recent project on enhanced Pretty Flower resilience and associated environmental impacts on the Prettiest Flower in coastal marshes affected by erosion, and I would love to learn more about it!

I believe my background in Honey Studies and Pretty Trees could make me a good fit for your lab. As a student, I completed a research project on the impact of Pretty Tree sap type on the Honey nutritional content using instrumentation such as a spile. You’ll find my CV with more details on my research experience, and a copy of my unofficial transcript, attached. 

Please let me know if you have any openings in your lab and if you have the time to set up a conversation about your current research projects.

Thank you for your time!

Best,

Daffodil Knotweed

Flower Chemistry

Magnolia Tree College

If you don’t get a reply 

 

This is common! This does not mean that you are a bad applicant or even that the PI is not interested in your application. It might mean:

  • The PI is working in the field and isn’t checking their email
  • Your email got filtered out as spam or junk
  • The PI saw your email and thinks you’re awesome but forgot to answer because they get ten zillion emails a day and they are trying to write a paper and a grant application and pick up their kids from school and walk their dog all at the same time
  • The PI thinks you’re awesome but their lab is full and they aren’t taking students right now, and it would be great if they emailed you back just to tell you this … but scientists are human and they forget or don’t have time
  • The PI does not think you are the best fit for the lab, but that doesn’t mean that you are a bad grad school applicant! There are other labs out there that will fit you better! 

 

Of course, the hard part as a student is that you don’t know which one of these reasons is behind the lack of response. If it’s a lab you’re really interested in, it is ok to follow up and email again, but you want to make sure that you wait and give the PI a chance to answer (2 - 3 weeks) before pestering them again. Your follow-up email should be very short and polite, and should reiterate your interest in the lab. To account for the possibility that your original email may have been accidentally flagged as spam, try leaving out the attachments this time, with an offer to provide your CV/resume and transcript if the PI is interested. Be sure to thank the PI for their time!

 

If you do get a reply

 

Good for you! Be prepared to set up a phone/Zoom conversation with the PI. Make some notes for yourself on why you are interested in the lab, why you are interested in grad school in general, and what questions you have. Read some recent papers by the PI if you have time. When scheduling the conversation, pay attention to potential time zone differences!

 

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