…will this help admissions?
is it easy to get professors to be interested in you?
i.e. do a lot of people try to push this far?
<p>chanman - take a deep breath & relax. You have already posted that you sent a dumb message to an ad com & were worried about that. Please don't do anything else until you think it through. I know that you want to get into a good school but looking desperate is not going to help you. If coaches don't really have that much say in the admission process then I hardly think that a prof will.</p>
<p>You have to realize that there are many factors in the college admission process. It seems to me that everyone is so worried about which Ivy that they can get into & don't even know what majors/minors that they offer. You need to go to a school that will be best for yourself and what you want to study not just the name of the college.</p>
<p>There are also so many factors in what each college is looking for. They are getting applications from the top students in the country so your GPA, test scors are just a given. They will be looking at what you want to major in, what your EC's are, do you have leadership positions & skills, what makes you different (athletics, music, art, etc.). Not only that but they look at the area you live. They want to make their college diverse. If you live near the school you don't necessarily look as attractive than a student from a far away state. Also, can you pay without getting any fin aid?</p>
<p>Don't get yourself into a situation where you get into the school, but can't afford to pay for it. Do NOT forget to look at state schools for safeties. How many students didn't get accepted to any college this very year because they didn't have any safeties? Quite a few. You have this information now use it to make good college choices.</p>
<p>Remember the name of the school your attending does NOT define you as a person. Good luck.</p>
<p>Writing to or emailing a professor simply to get ahead in admissions looks pretty desperate. However, if you visit a college, setting up an appointment to meet with a professor in your department is okay, specifically to ask questions about the department. DO NOT just use a professor to get ahead. They'll feel used, and the adcoms will view you as desperate. Genuine interest is way more valuable than sucking up.</p>
<p>How about asking a profesor some questions you have on a research you do?. Just getting in contact to know them.That's not fine ?</p>
<p>^ i want to know too</p>
<p>Be aware that many professors are extremely busy and probably can't or won't take the time to answer a high school student's questions. Not to make them sound like monsters or jerks but they have their own students to deal with. You may get lucky and find a professor that'll help you out but I sincerely doubt they are in any way, shape or form affiliated and/or connected with the admissions process.</p>
<p>I wouldn't advise it, and after all you're doing this to "help you in admissions" so, eh, I thought that was a stupid reason.</p>
<p>I have to agree with mominsearch, chanman. You seem really desperate to "look good to your college" which can actually play negatively on you. It shows desperation.</p>
<p>tami what you're saying is correct but this is 99% of the boards, albeit to the original poster: do you think: 1) they really care? 2) don't know what you're aiming for? 3) have the time, this would open a whole new battlefield for college admissions, one that is too much</p>
<p>I understand professors are not in relation with the admission process but I feel that by contacting a professor, a student shows active interest in the university. And a student could mention this in the essay which is sent to the admission office. Any comments?</p>
<p>Talking to a professor and giving him/her a paper won't do you any good. Most professors are too busy with their classes and other work to do that kind of thing for you. They might be willing to meet with you if you're looking at that department specifically, but even then that's on their schedule...which can be very busy.
Some schools have a section where they ask random questions about how you got to know about their campus, including if you've talked to a member of the faculty/staff. It wouldn't do any harm to put the info there.</p>
<p>thanks enygma8</p>
<p>I did that when I applied to Duke. I emailed to a Duke prof and attached a paper (which was in similar field to his). He answered my email and then asked me to visit his lab and the university, maybe when I was admitted (so he showed that he wouldn't help). As an intl student, I surely couldn't make it to the university at the time so I gave up the idea upon his reply.</p>
<p>So, if you really want to get a prof's attention, going to see him/her face to face is better.</p>
<p>Other ways to get to know prof is to join activities that regularly invite prof, i.e. RSI, university summer programs, academic competitions, or, if you have had some basic knowledge, join professional meetings and introduce yourself to people.</p>
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Remember the name of the school your attending does NOT define you as a person
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<p>Most adcoms seem to disagree.</p>
<p>and i think it would be rather thick for you to contact the professor just to help your application. If you really have something to discuss with him, then making contact is a good idea. although, even then, i would dwell too much on it on the application. if i was on an adcom, and i felt the professor part was purely to help push the application, then i wouldnt be pleased. just my 2 cents</p>
<p>If a professor at the university you apply endorses you, that helps for your application. But knowing prof only for admission reasons is not recommended.</p>
<p>I did have some profs in my country (whom I had been working/studying with for a year) wrote letters for me though, at least to show that I've prepared myself for college.</p>