I’ve read on CC a few times that one way to help your admission chances to a school is by forming a relationship with one of the school’s professors whose field you’re interested in, and I recently learned that a family friend of mine is close with a professor of a subject I love at a school that I’m looking to apply to. I want to connect with the teacher, but I’m wondering: how exactly does that work? I email them, and then what? We just continue email correspondence? We meet for coffee? How does this go down?
Becoming acquainted with a professor is a good way to find out about research opportunities once you have already been accepted, but I don’t think people here believe that individual professors have much input over the admissions process. It seems a bit awkward to try to buddy up with a professor at a school in an attempt to influence your admissions chances.
Perhaps you are thinking more generally of how you can convey your interest in your application in attending a particular university. Then surely you can mention your awareness and interest in the work doing on in various departments or in a single department, But even then I wouldn’t base this discussion on your interest in one professor.
Prospective applications sometimes arrange to meet with a departmental representative during a campus tour, and it would be possible to meet with a faculty member then.