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How to Find and Contact a PhD Supervisor: Email Templates, Timing, and What Faculty Actually Think

Faculty get hundreds of cold emails from PhD applicants. Learn when to reach out, what to write, and what professors at MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge actually look for—with real email templates and common mistakes to avoid.

GradPilot TeamFebruary 9, 202615 min read

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How to Find and Contact a PhD Supervisor

Getting into a PhD program often starts with a single email. At UK and European universities, contacting a supervisor before applying is usually expected. In the US, it depends on your field—essential in psychology labs, useful in STEM, and sometimes irrelevant in humanities.

The problem is that most applicants send the wrong kind of email. Faculty get hundreds of generic messages every admissions cycle, and most get deleted without a reply.

This guide covers when to reach out, what to write, and what faculty actually think when they read your email.

From the Luck Lab at UC Davis:

"The right e-mail can pique our interest and make us look carefully at a student's materials. On the other hand, generic e-mails that simply say 'Are you accepting students' are likely to be ignored." — Luck Lab, UC Davis

Does contacting professors actually help?
UK vs US: when contact is required
When to send your first email
How to find the right supervisor
What to include in your email
Email template that works
What professors actually think about cold emails
University-specific guidance
Common mistakes that get your email deleted
What to do after you send the email
How many professors should you contact?

Does contacting professors actually help?

It depends on where you're applying and what field you're in.

Where it clearly helps:

UK and European universities (often required)
US psychology programs using the apprenticeship/mentor-match model
US lab-based STEM programs where PIs fund their own students
Any program where the course page says "contact a potential supervisor before applying"

Where it might not help:

US programs with committee-based admissions (common in humanities)
Programs that explicitly say not to contact faculty before admission

Andy Pavlo at CMU provides an important counterpoint. Over two admissions cycles, he received about 50 emails from prospective PhD students. Only two were ultimately admitted—and both would have been admitted regardless of their email.

"If a person emails me to let them know that they want to be my student, does that improve their chances to getting admitted? No." — Andy Pavlo, CMU

But here's the nuance: even Pavlo tries to respond "if it looks like they really tried to target" their email toward his work. And at programs where individual faculty drive admissions decisions, a well-written email can be the difference between your application getting a close read and getting lost in the pile.

UK vs US: when contact is required

The structural difference between UK and US PhD programs changes everything about supervisor contact.

Dimension	US PhD	UK/EU PhD
Apply to	Department or program	Often a specific supervisor
Supervisor contact	Varies by field	Usually expected or required
First year	Coursework and rotations	Begin research immediately
Who decides admission	Committee	Often the supervisor themselves
Research proposal	Rarely required	Almost always required

FindAPhD explains: "Most PhD applications in the UK are handled not by admissions committees but by individual supervisors."

In the US, you typically apply to a department. In the UK, you often apply to work with a specific person. This means UK applicants need supervisor buy-in before they even submit their application.

Admit Lab puts it directly: "Your supervisor match is the most important factor in UK PhD admissions."

European variations

The supervisor-first model extends across much of Europe:

ETH Zurich requires you to find a professor who will offer you a position before you can even register for a doctorate
KU Leuven (Belgium) operates on a supervisor-initiated model—"You cannot initiate the application procedure yourself. Your KU Leuven supervisor will start up the application procedure on your behalf."
Most European programs expect pre-application contact with potential supervisors

When to send your first email

Timing matters. Send too early and the professor won't remember you. Send too late and they may have already committed their funding.

General timing guidelines

System	When to Contact	Why
UK universities	Late summer / early fall (8-12 weeks before deadline)	Supervisors need time to assess fit and may need to arrange funding
US programs	Late September to mid-October	Faculty can assess whether they'll accept students for the cycle
European programs	2-3 months before deadline	Varies by country; some have rolling admissions

Penn Career Services recommends: "The most common time to reach out to future faculty/research advisors is late spring through early fall of the year you are going to apply."

ETH Zurich specifically advises: "Contact the professor 2-3 months before the respective deadline."

When NOT to send emails

End of semester — Faculty are buried in grading and committee work
Summer holidays — Many academics take research leave and check email less frequently
Too early — If you're not applying this cycle, the professor will likely forget about you by the time you do

FindAPhD warns: "Most academics will be snowed under end of semester marking, and after that, many academics take research or summer leave and won't be checking their inboxes as frequently."

Best time to send: Weekday mornings, 8-8:30 AM in the professor's timezone.

How to find the right supervisor

Before you write the email, you need to identify the right people to contact. This requires genuine research, not just scanning a department's faculty list.

Step 1: Start with research interests, not rankings

Read recent papers in your area of interest. Note who is publishing on topics that excite you. Follow citation trails—if several papers you like cite the same researcher, that's a strong signal.

Step 2: Check department and lab websites

Oxford advises: "Research areas can overlap different departments, and most department websites let you browse all the staff, groups and projects broken down by themes."

Look for:

Faculty research pages and recent publications
Lab websites (these often have more current information than department pages)
"Prospective students" pages—some faculty explicitly state whether they're taking students
Recent grants (indicates active funding and likely capacity for students)

Step 3: Verify they're taking students

Before emailing, check:

Does the lab website say they're accepting students?
Have they graduated students recently (suggesting capacity)?
Are they listed as active faculty (not emeritus, on sabbatical, or about to retire)?

Tufts Psychology recommends: "Always check the lab website for information regarding the program of research, as sometimes labs will also have information regarding whether they are accepting students."

Step 4: Read at least one recent paper

This is non-negotiable. Every faculty source we reviewed emphasized this point. You need to reference specific work in your email, and you can't fake familiarity with a paper you haven't read.

What to include in your email

The consensus across faculty advice pages is remarkably consistent. Your email should:

Use the correct title — Professor or Dr., as appropriate
Introduce yourself briefly — Name, current program, stage of study
Show specific knowledge of their research — Reference a recent paper or project
Explain your research alignment — How your interests connect to their work
Ask a clear, simple question — Usually whether they're taking students
Attach your CV — But don't attach anything else unsolicited

Rice University provides an 8-step structure: formal greeting, self-introduction, genuine interest citing specific papers, clear purpose, relevant experience, meeting request, offer of attachments, and formal closing.

David Evans at UVA puts it bluntly: "Don't waste space and time telling me how hard-working, creative and smart you are—demonstrate it with the contents of your message."

The one-screen rule

Multiple faculty emphasize this: your email should fit on one screen without scrolling.

Imperial College's Prof. Chernyshenko advises: "All this needs to be conveyed just in a few sentences. Make it short enough to read without scrolling."

Email template that works

Based on guidance from UC Davis Luck Lab, Rice University, and Oxford Careers Service:

Subject line: Prospective PhD applicant — [Your Research Area]

Dear Professor [Last Name],

I am a [year] [degree] student in [field] at [university], where I work in [advisor's name]'s lab on [brief description of your research]. [One sentence on a specific finding or project.]

I am writing because I am planning to apply for PhD programs this fall, and your work on [specific topic] is closely aligned with my research interests. I read your recent paper on [specific paper title or topic], and I found [specific aspect] particularly relevant to questions I've been exploring about [your research angle].

I would be grateful to know whether you are planning to accept new PhD students for [year]. I have attached my CV for reference.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

This template works because it's specific, concise, and demonstrates real engagement with the professor's work. The Luck Lab explains the goals: "(a) introduce yourself, (b) inquire about whether they are taking students, (c) make it clear why you are interested in that particular faculty member, and (d) get any advice they might offer."

For UK applications specifically

Oxford's guidance recommends: "Contact them by email, enclosing a copy of your CV and explaining what you are interested in researching and why you would be particularly interested in working with them."

If you already have a research proposal draft, mention it and offer to share it. At UK universities, the proposal is the centerpiece of your application, and supervisors will want to see it.

What professors actually think about cold emails

The skeptical view

Andy Pavlo (CMU) provides the most data-driven assessment. Of ~50 emails received over two admissions cycles:

Most were "formulaic: the first paragraph says who they are, the second says what kind of research they are working on, and the third paragraph says something about why the professor's research matches up"
The claiming-to-be-a-"fast learner" approach doesn't work
"Passion statements" about trendy topics are transparent
Only 2 senders were ultimately admitted, and both would have been admitted anyway

His key insight: when a prospective student emails about wanting to be his student, "they are essentially asking for somebody to give you $500,000" (about $90K per year in tuition, stipend, healthcare, and resources).

The encouraging view

The Luck Lab at UC Davis takes a more optimistic position: "This email will get you 'on the radar' of the faculty. Most PhD programs get hundreds of applicants, and faculty are much more likely to take a close look at your application if you've contacted them in advance."

They also note: "We've never heard of a student receiving a rude or unpleasant response... you really don't have much to lose by emailing faculty, and you have a lot to gain."

The reconciliation

Both perspectives are right. In committee-based US programs (especially in CS), a cold email probably won't tip the scales. But in programs where individual faculty drive admissions—psychology mentor-match models, UK PhD programs, European supervisor-first systems—your email can directly determine whether you're admitted.

The universal truth: a bad email can hurt you. David Evans at UVA warns: "It's a really bad idea to send spam emails to long lists of professors; some professors will maintain blacklists of applicants who do this to make sure their application is rejected without consideration."

University-specific guidance

Oxford

Oxford's admissions page states: "Applicants to DPhil courses are often encouraged to contact potential supervisors before submitting an application." Whether it's required depends on the department—"it's usually necessary in the sciences, and often optional in humanities and social sciences."

Check your specific course page. Oxford's system varies significantly between departments.

Cambridge

Cambridge advises: "You should research the department you're applying to and contact potential supervisors well before you apply." But they include an important caveat: "Having interest from a potential supervisor does not guarantee that you will be offered a place."

MIT

MIT EECS takes a different approach: "Faculty members will not discuss financial support or thesis supervision with a student who has not yet been admitted." In other words, don't email MIT CS professors expecting them to commit to supervising you before admission.

Stanford

It varies by department. Stanford Humanities & Sciences notes that in some fields like ecology, "you will be entering into the graduate program matched with a research adviser," making contact essential. But Stanford English explicitly states: "Students are not admitted to work with particular faculty members."

ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is fully supervisor-driven: "The best way to apply for a doctoral position is to contact the relevant professorship directly." You must find a professor who will offer you a position before you can register.

Common mistakes that get your email deleted

Based on advice from faculty across multiple universities:

1. Sending a generic template

Professors can spot mass emails immediately. Matt Might notes: "It's painfully obvious when the email is form-letter spam." These get "summarily discarded."

2. Not reading their research

Saying "I'm interested in your work" without referencing anything specific tells the professor you haven't done basic homework. David Evans at UVA says: "This must be more than 'I like your latest paper', 'your keywords match my target words', or 'here is a summary of a recent paper you wrote.'"

3. Using the wrong title

FindAPhD warns: "Starting an email with 'Dear Dr' rather than 'Dear Professor' won't only annoy them but will imply you have poor attention to detail." Always check their actual title on the department website.

4. Writing too much

Your first email is not the place to share your life story, your GPA, your GRE scores, or a detailed research agenda. Keep it to one screen. Penn Career Services specifically warns against "narrating your life story."

5. Mass-emailing professors

This is the single most dangerous mistake. Evans warns that "some professors will maintain blacklists of applicants who do this to make sure their application is rejected without consideration." Each email must be individually written and specific to that professor's work.

6. Proposing research that doesn't match

Pavlo notes receiving emails from students proposing research that doesn't align with his actual focus. This signals that you haven't understood what the professor does.

7. Misspelling their name

Cientifico Latino flags this as a surprisingly common error. Double-check the spelling from their official department page.

8. Sending unsolicited attachments

A CV is usually fine. But don't attach research papers, transcripts, or other documents unless asked. David Evans recommends: "Use plain-text URLs instead of email attachments" when possible.

What to do after you send the email

If you get a response

Reply promptly and professionally
If they suggest a call, propose specific times (~15 minutes)
Prepare questions about the lab's current direction and open projects
Ask about their supervision style and expectations

If you don't get a response

Stanford advises: "If you don't receive a response, wait a week and try again." After a second non-response, "don't take this too personally."

Professors are overwhelmed with email. No response doesn't necessarily mean no interest. Penn Career Services recommends naming the faculty member in your statement of purpose regardless of whether they replied to your email.

The follow-up timeline

Matt Might suggests: "Send a short follow-up email in December/January so they remember to tell the admissions committee to watch for you."

Behind-the-scenes recommendations

One often-overlooked strategy: ask your current professors to contact faculty at your target schools on your behalf. Might notes: "Behind-the-scenes recommendations are priceless." A personal email from a colleague carries far more weight than a cold email from a student.

How many professors should you contact?

There's no universal answer, but some practical guidelines:

Per university: 1-3 professors whose work genuinely aligns with yours
Total: As many as you can write genuinely personalized emails for
Quality over quantity: 5 excellent, personalized emails beat 20 generic ones

The Luck Lab recommends having your current faculty mentor review your draft email before sending. This catches errors, improves tone, and your mentor may even know the professor personally.

How GradPilot can help

Your supervisor email and your statement of purpose need to tell a consistent story. Our PhD essay review evaluates research trajectory and faculty alignment—the same elements that make your initial supervisor email compelling.

Related resources:

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