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Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

Your time would be better spent working on the LSAT

Knockglock wrote:

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

Not at Yale!

Knockglock wrote:

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

Is this true? I thought admissions committees often have professors from the school itself.

Unless you have a legitimate question about the professors research or the school, I do not see how it could help. It may come off as obnoxious. IMO

CMDantes wrote:

Knockglock wrote:

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

Is this true? I thought admissions committees often have professors from the school itself.

I talked to a professor from a T14 school and that's what he told me. It might not apply to all schools.

dominkay wrote:

Knockglock wrote:

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

Not at Yale!

also does not apply at my school. still probably wouldn't do any good though. time better spent doing something else, like staring at a wall.

Based on the scarce information shared in your original post, it is unlikely that any answer will adequately address your concern. What type of program & what is the content & purpose of your e-mail?

Knockglock wrote:

Hey-O wrote:Hi,

I'm considering writing an email to the faculty adviser of the program I want to attend at my dream school. Would some read this for me and let me know if it sounds crazy?

I don't think it would really do you any good. Faculty are well insulated from adcomms, and have very little influence on decisions.

OP, Knock may be right generally. But I'm going to the school I am pretty much because of one professor and the relationship we were able to cultivate over the course of a year. I reached out to him, and I guarantee you he was instrumental in me getting the type of financial aid I received. Now (not to toot my own horn) I brought the goods. If I was Joe Nobody with no talent and no promise, I doubt it would have moved the needle at all.

Maybe he couldn't have gotten me accepted, my numbers handled that, but I don't think it is a bad thing to do this. Especially if there is a specific reason you want to go to a certain school. Think of it this way: If, as Knock says, faculty are insulated from decisions, then reaching out costs you nothing b/c faculty have no influence. If faculty can affect decisions (acceptances or fin. aid), then reaching out can only help you. I say do it. Schools want to know you want to go THERE and not just anywhere. This is a good way to show that.

I also know of a few examples of in person contact with law school professors that seemed to help borderline cases gain admission. But you have to be careful with your approach; make sure that you have a clear purpose in mind such as to express your demonstrated interest in that area of law & to get feedback about specific opportunities. Best to make any unsolicited contact short & concise.

Big +1 to Canadianwolf. Don't carpet bomb it. Don't send emails to every prof at every school you will maybe apply to. Keep it simple. Be clear why you are talking to him/her specifically. My history proved to this prof. that I was not a traditional law student and I belonged in his school, working on the same things he is passionate about. It's tough to fake. Remember that law profs are smart and can detect a line of bs. At least the ones I've met. Current students may disagree with me.

I've done this a good bit with consistent success. Do your homework, though, especially if you are asking for a meeting. Read a few of their publications. Have non-FAQ or admissions-esque questions for them. Keep it brief. Always be humble and formal. Recognize that you know next to nothing about their world. As others have said, as long as you are genuine without ass kissing, you have nothing to lose and much (knowledge, perspective, an ally, future networks, etc) to gain.

What do you hope to accomplish by doing this? (not intended to be a snide question, just isn't clear from OP why you'd be doing this).

bump

Bildungsroman wrote:What do you hope to accomplish by doing this? (not intended to be a snide question, just isn't clear from OP why you'd be doing this).

+1. It depends on what he intends the email to be about/what his end goal is.

Bildungsroman wrote:What do you hope to accomplish by doing this? (not intended to be a snide question, just isn't clear from OP why you'd be doing this).

I'm on the wait list at this school, but I'm considering re-applying next year with a higher LSAT if I don't get in off the waitlist. I want the prof's opinion about the program that he is the faculty adviser to (I hate ending a sentence with a preposition). The program is pretty much exactly what I want to do. I am in at another school with a similar program but I'd like to have his opinion about what his program offers and my employment chances.

I have the email written if anyone wants to read it for me. PM me.

Hey-O wrote:I want the prof's opinion about the program that he is the faculty adviser to (I hate ending a sentence with a preposition).

I want the professor's opinion about the program for which he is a faculty advisor?

=)

I'm terrible at grammar. Is that a correct non-preposition-ending fix?