<p>Tons of people do. I know some grad students who work in labs with the PI is never there because they are doing other things but the grad students like it. It gives them freedom to do side-projects and not have someone breathing down their neck - because the PI is established and not worried about their success… they already have it. It depends on how much guidance you want, and I guess also how much help you get from others. It also depends on your project - is it very tricky and hard, or relatively straight forward. </p>
<p>Well, like I said, it is not some rule. I didn’t contact a LOT of profs I am interested in, and I also didn’t cut anyone out if they didn’t respond. It is not some hard and fast rule. And I understand and agree with MWFN. This is just my own opinion. It is by no-means a fact, I don’t have data to support this. It is just how I feel. That’s all. At the end of the day, someone responding excitingly to my email and continueing a conversation, does make me feel like, hey - maybe this is someone I’d rather work with for my PhD. Again - not some hard fact, just an inclination and internal feeling. To be honest, I was very shocked at the amount of PIs that responded. I emailed people from Stanford - all responded, Princeton, Yale, etc…</p>