<p>I know that there are some really random people who send mass emails (in templates) to professors in big universities. That's why they get overwhelmed and don't even read emails that begin with "hello, my name is blah blah blah." It has become very difficult to approach professors and talk to them about common research interests since they don't even respond back. </p>
<p>However, I am truly interested in this professor's research and I have read some of his papers before writing him an email. I was wondering, should I consider sending him a mail (with my resume and my letter) in an envelope, rather than sending an email? Maybe this will show them that I am seriously interested in their work, and not just spamming them.. What do you think?</p>
<p>Given that my PI rarely remembers he has a physical mail box, sending an actual letter is far less likely to get a response than email. Plus, including non-solicited materials like a resume are not always a great idea.</p>
<p>However, this also depends on your field. At my school and in my field (biomed) admission is (almost) purely made by the AdCom and prior contact with a professor does not mean a better chance of admittance, or a guarantee of joining their lab. However, in other fields in which professors can sponsor specific students to join the program and their lab, you do need to talk to professors. But a physical letter is not better than an email.</p>
<p>If you are in a field where students are admitted to work with specific research groups, professors will be quite receptive of email inquiries. I emailed a few professors in the last few weeks and as of right now all have gotten back to me. Some professors will even post specific instructions on their website about how to get in touch with them. One wrote: “I am accepting new graduate students in … and … If you are interested, please email me a copy of your resume and a short statement of interest. I am currently not taking new students in …, unless you have your own source of funding.” </p>
<p>In fields where professors don’t normally accept students until after they are enrolled in the program, professors are more likely to view inquiries from prospective students as a nuisance. For example, Terrance Tao, one of the most famous mathematicians alive, has posted on his website a statement along the lines of: “You are welcome to inform me of your application but I will not get involved in the admission process. I do not accept students for graduate study with me until they are already at UCLA and have passed their qualifying exams.” </p>
<p>Of course you could still email them with legitimate questions or concerns.</p>