<p>I recently started an online application for UC Santa Barbara (I will also apply to other UCs) and noticed that there's a section for me to fill in research interests and professor with whom I would like to work with. Am I supposed to fill this out based on their department website which lists the different areas of research their faculty is involved in? Or is it customary to contact the professor at the school first through email before doing the application? Because otherwise I don't really know any of the professors at UCSB personally, so I don't know what impact it can have by just listing any professor's name.</p>
<p>Thanks for any help, I'm just a bit confused about certain parts of the grad school application process.</p>
<p>PS: I'm applying for a Masters of Science for electrical engineering, if that helps.</p>
<p>It’s really designed to get a better idea of your interests. If you list professors, they will most likely read your application and decide if your interests match theirs and take you on as an advisee.</p>
<p>Contacting professors at Masters level is optional. People contact professors largely to get a better idea of where these professors stand as researchers and advisors.</p>
<p>So is it recommended I fill this section out? I have read their department information and I suppose I can put one down just from reading about the professors, tho of course I don’t know them personally.</p>
<p>If I put one down will I be considered by any of the other professors at the school if the one I list doesn’t want me?</p>
<p>Is there room for only one professor’s name? In most cases, you’ll want to list at least three, something you can do in your SOP if there isn’t room on the application.</p>
<p>If you can list only one professor, make sure he/she is either an associate or a full professor. Check out that person’s web page for active and recent research. You don’t want to select someone who hasn’t been doing much research of late (on the way out) or someone who has little say in the department’s decisions (junior faculty). </p>
<p>If you have room for three professors, at least one should be an associate or full professor. </p>
<p>It goes without saying that the professor(s) you do choose should be doing work that dovetails with your own interests. Don’t pick someone just for the sake of filling in the form.</p>