If you talk to a professor, is it guaranteed admission?

Graduate School
1

<p>If I talk to a professor at my target school, or even do research with them and impress them, will they be able to vouch for me and help me get into a PhD program there?</p>

<p>Also, I received a 158 verbal and 155 math on the GRE, any tips to improve?</p>

2

<p>The answer to the “headline” question is no - just talking to a professor doesn’t guarantee anything.</p>

<p>Basically, you’ve considerably oversimplified the process. Yes, professors are particularly important in graduate admissions and have significant pull as to their preferred candidates. However, lots of students <em>talk</em> to professors - far more than can be admitted to any given program.</p>

<p>But if you, say, work as a summer assistant in a particular professor’s lab, make a good impression of yourself and demonstrate aptitude and interest in the program, then it’s possible for that professor to help your application along in the process.</p>

3

<p>^What polarscribe said. Very weak students may talk to professors ahead of time, but they are still weak students and will not get admitted. Mediocre students may work with a professor and do research with them over a summer, but that doesn’t mean they will get admitted especially to a competitive program.</p>

<p>However, a professor in your target department can be a valuable asset to improve your chances of getting into a program. You have to be targeted about how you make the contact, though.</p>

<p>To improve your GRE score, use the PowerPREP program on the ETS website and consider using a test prep book from a company like Barron’s or Kaplan. When I used to tutor, a lot of the time mid-range or just above average scores indicated to me that students knew the material, but they needed more practice on the techniques and strategies. Those books have the strategies.</p>

4

<p>Having a professor backing you isn’t always guaranteed admission. This year my group actually had a student we wanted a lot, and my advisor, most senior of the department, wasn’t able to have enough pull to get him in. None of the other professors in the department thought the guy would be a fit to their group, and they were worried about his ability to do the coursework required.</p>