How to approach a professor for funding/ Assistantship / Admission / supervison

How to address Prof:
By full Name or By Last name (EX: Dear Prof Dakai Zhu).

How to start :
Make a greeting (Like Good morning or Good Day ).

What to day :
1. Your identity.
2. Your Interest.
3. Why you pick him… ( for your interest in his research).
4. How you know him… (through webpage, or while reading one of this paper.. etc)
5. How much you know his work/research (mention If you have some knowledge about his work).
6. Some (if any) of your contribution in the same field.
7. Mention your publication (if any) with title and one copy of eachattached with the mail.
8. Mention your specific Strong points( Like From you are, your result, Admission test result).
9. Mention work Experience if it really fit with his work(but if does not match then do not prolong it).

Attachments :
1. Academic Transcript.
2. CV
3. GRE / TOEFL Score
4.Papers(if have)

Remember:

The prof will not pick you for your benefit. He will pick you for his own benefit. Think How you can let him think you are important and really interested in his work . This can be reading his paper, talk show, presentation or etc.

Important:

Try to be as much different as possible. Prof generally receives ton of email daily. Let him feel you are special. It is not using some good adjective rather showing interest in his work / research work.

Try to make a high estimation about yourself in fact, which really we are. Tell him some of very good ideas you have by yourself or you know from your friend. But don’t pick some thing which is already published and known work.

Thank you. & Regards,
Prosunjit Biswas

E-mail courtesy….

Yesterday, I composed a mail to my friend and he did not reply me any word. It really hurts me. She did the same thing once more. I don’t know why she does not follow the email courtesy. I hope and wish, she and some one like her will read my post.

something I feel should be regarded as communication courtesy over email .

They are :

1. If some one write you a mail , don’t forget to send him at least an acknowledgement / thank you mail in return. Every time, I get no reply for some mail I sent to somebody , it really hurts me… I believe the feeling is same for others who writes mails.

2. If you need some time (even day / week ) to compose the mail , at least let him/her know that you will write to him/her at the possible quickest time.

3. If you are on leave (for some days) set auto reply features so that some one who have sent you mail can know your status.

Posted by :

Prosunjit Biswas