I’m not sure this is in the right forum, but …
I’ve already been contacting faculty to ask if they have space in their labs for an undergrad. Of the three I emailed, one was full, one didn’t reply, and the last said his lab was always open for keen undergrads and that we should meet at the end of August. Should I stop reaching out to others, or should I continue asking in case his lab doesn’t work out?
Thanks in advance!
Are you an incoming college freshman?
If there are other professors at the school you are interested in working for, it is okay to keep reaching out until you have a position you like. Expect most of the profs to want to meet you before they offer you a spot.
I would continue to ask others and to try to set up meetings with them. Typically some professors aren’t sure until school starts about how many research spots they may have. If you are extremely interested in the professor’s research who you email but received no response from, then perhaps try to email him again. It is common to talk to many professors about their research, lab style, etc. before becoming a member of a specific one.
Always good to have a backup plan or two.
Keep emailing others. It’s good to meet with a few different professors so that you can choose the one that fits you best.
Unless one can give you a definitive answer, email more. I do recommend not emailing too many though as backups. When I first emailed my lab’s professor, he was my first choice from the start and said yes right away. Then, all the other professors started emailing back and it was just sort of annoying and awkward saying no to all of them.
Also, professors talk btw. The grad students in my lab have mentioned me in conversations apparently, so I wouldn’t treat it like shopping.
Actually, I have a different answer - wait until you get back on campus.
First of all, many professors travel (for work or pleasure) extensively over the summer, and may be unreachable or nearly so. So sometimes you will not get replies for that reason.
Second of all, even professors who are still around may not know what their fall lab needs look like because they are still sorting out grant requirements and doctoral and postdoctoral appointments. They will have hired/accepted already, but they may need to see what their capacity is.
Thirdly - and most importantly - you haven’t met them and they haven’t met you. You haven’t even taken any classes on campus yet. Many professors would be wary of hiring a brand-new freshman that they don’t know and who hasn’t yet set foot on a college campus, unless you had pretty extensive high school research experience. How will they know that you are diligent and conscientious, that you can handle the courseload and research, that you won’t change your mind about your major and bail before the school year even begins?
I’d wait until the school year begins, then visit some professors during their office hours in the early days of school and have a chat. At my university, professors had lab open houses and preview days where they’d come talk about their research to undergrads interested in research opportunities.
My daughter tried to get a research opportunity (volunteer) by contacting and requesting meetings with various researchers in her department throughout her freshman year with no luck. After she took a class or two in her major at the beginning of sophomore year, she learned that one of the profs was looking for volunteers. His group was specifically looking for volunteers who had the specific skills that had been taught in the course he was teaching. My daughter immediately volunteered and worked in his lab about 6 to 10 hours for the team the remainder of the school year. It wasn’t exactly the researcher in her department that she wants to work for, because it isn’t exactly what she thinks she wants to study, but she got her foot in the door. Turns out the profs are looking for students with a certain skill set too. She will continue with the same researcher unless she can shift to the one who is leading the specific line of research that interests her more.
Hey guys, thanks for replying.
At a recent orientation-type thing for my college (CBS) we were all encouraged to start reaching out to professors for research opportunities during the summer, which I found surprising (I guess I thought I was ahead of the game). I’m assuming that the faculty here are used to freshmen asking to get involved before school starts. I need to email a resume, cover letter, and transcript to the professor, but I’m not sure what to include. I have no research experience or relevant work/volunteer experience. Does he need to know what EC’s I did in high school or what awards I won?
My kid asked profs after she had taken a class from them.
At MAX send emails to 1-2 more professors, but I would wait till your meeting with the professor. Him replying to your email and offering to meet is already a good sign, especially since he said his lab was keen on interested undergrads. Usually if a professor is not interested he will either ignore or let you know politely. Your meeting will generally be like an interview (the level of casualness depends on the professor - i’ve had the entire range), and if he likes you, he’ll offer you a spot. If it doesn’t work out that’s completely fine and just keep emailing!
For the professor who didn’t reply, i would try a followup email just in case. Professor are indeed busy and swamped with emails and could easily miss it. (Even in summer if they are traveling)
In terms of what to include in the email; I wouldn’t worry too much about your resume – whatever is on it is fine. Obviously it would be a plus to have research experience but if not its not end of the world at all. Some professors never look at it and some just take 30 seconds and glance over it. The MOST important is showing you are genuinely interested in what his lab is doing and shown you have done your part to find out. Don’t be that person who sends generic emails to 50+ professors. Quality over quantity.