<p>I'm thinking about doing research with a faculty member over the summer at my home institution, but I'm currently not sure b/c there are other things I'm going to apply to as well. Would you say asking the faculty members now would be best, or should I wait till later (say March)?</p>
<p>There’s no harm in asking early. It shows your interest and lets the faculty plan ahead if necessary. Let him/her know you’re interested and ask if there’s space in the lab.</p>
<p>OK, thanks! :)</p>
<p>Do you know if it’s okay to email more than one to increase my chances (like maybe 4-5 labs)? I’ve heard of professors never responding, so I want to increase the probability of me getting into a lab, but then I also don’t know how to turn them down if more than one responds.</p>
<p>Also, do you know if professors usually take summer students from other institutions? I would think it depends on the professor, but what do people do about living rearrangements, etc? Sorry for the many questions, but I’m new to all of this so any advice is welcome. Thanks!</p>
<p>You shouldn’t email multiple professors at once. You should email one, and wait for a response. If they say no, then move to #2 on your list. If they don’t reply in a week, you can either move to your next choice or send another polite email along the lines of “hi, i know your busy and you may have missed my last email, but I am interested in working in your lab over the summer, etc etc.” If possible, it’s way better to meet with the professor in person, perhaps during an office hour or something.</p>
<p>Professors from other institutions may or may not accept you for summer work with them. It depends on many factors. Unless you’re a stellar student prodigy, they probably won’t provide you with any funding even if they do accept you. If you can get funding another way and tell them that you want to work with them and you have your own funding, then they’re likely to say yes, since you’d be free labor in their research. So if your school has some program like that, then try and get it, otherwise it’s a lot easier to just apply to REU’s directly through the school.</p>
<p>Go with mass emails. While it can be generic, make sure their somewhat unique to each professor. You don’t know how long it will take for a professor to get back to you and in that time, another lab may fill up. Worst comes to worst, just tell the professor you received a more favorable position in another lab and thank the professor for the opportunity.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t email multiple professors at once. You should email one, and wait for a response. If they say no, then move to #2 on your list. If they don’t reply in a week, you can either move to your next choice or send another polite email along the lines of “hi, i know your busy and you may have missed my last email, but I am interested in working in your lab over the summer, etc etc.” If possible, it’s way better to meet with the professor in person, perhaps during an office hour or something.</p>
<p>I totally disagree with this. This could take FORever.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with emailing 2-3 professors simultaneously and asking them if they have a place for a summer RA. If you get multiple replies, just make appointments with them each and decide which one you like better; then reply to the other 1-2 and let them know you’ve found a position.</p>
<p>But don’t do mass emails. Take the time to individually write each professor an email stating your interests. They should be short anyway - two paragraphs max.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on your school. I go to a small liberal arts school, and if I email a professor here, even if I’m not taking any class with them, 95% of the time I’ll get a reply in a day. Then again, I’ve emailed professors at large research universities before to discuss research possibilities and I’ve also heard back within a day or two. So I’m sticking with my answer, especially since it’s only December/January and you have 5 months before summer. But I also don’t disagree with the other people. Sending out a few emails at a time wouldn’t hurt, but I would still prefer my way if I were doing it again.</p>
<p>I would recommend contacting the profs face to face during their office hours, not emailing them, if you really want to get a response.</p>
<p>And they do talk to one another - if you send out a mass email, you could end up getting rejected by the entire department…</p>
<p>But you say you might not even want that job over the summer. Why not wait until you’re clearer about your other options? Think about how you’ll look if you are accepted and then decline because of a better offer elsewhere.</p>