Hi, I’m new here! I just have some advice to ask for my daughter, who’s going to be applying to Princeton early this fall. She’s interested in sociology, and she’s participated in extracurriculars related to this subject. Would it benefit her to email a professor in the sociology department at Princeton about work that they’ve done (she’s read some publications by them) or with questions about the major that aren’t included on the website? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
if she has questions about the major then the appropriate contact is the dept advisor. Working profs don’t want to be bothered with such stuff. Nor are they going to be thrilled to get an email from a HS kid wanting to be penpals and hoping to play it for an advantage in admission.
It is stalker-ish. Once accepted, perhaps then.
The only reason I would email a prof is if you had questions about the curriculum or courses or opportunities in the department…not to gain an advantage in applying.
If your daughter is accepted, the admissions office will have events where she can interact with faculty and possibly someone in the department. But during the application process, contact the admissions office with questions.
Like other universities, a number of teaching faculty sit on Princeton’s Admissions Committee. However, currently there is no representative faculty member from the sociology department who sits on the committee. Therefore contacting a sociology professor who has absolutely no input or sway into the process would seem to be a complete waste of an applicant’s time. In addition, doing so might be constructed as trying to “curry favor” and is inappropriate. Therefore, your daughter should not do it: https://www.princeton.edu/dof/faculty/committees/DOF-Faculty-Committee-List.pdf
I’ve spoken with experts about this…people who get paid thousands of dollars to give their admissions advice…they say go for it. I know a kid that got taken off the Harvard waitlist after he contacted a hard to get to admissions person. I also know a kid that got into Stanford after he had been in contact with a professor. The professor spoke to admissions about the kid. I will get more information about who to contact and what to say but I mean think about it…there’s thousands of applicants and other than interviews (which tend to be alumni) the admissions board isn’t really going to know you. Why not give it a shot? I’ve emailed professors regarding book recommendations for certain subjects and they’ve responded (they certainly didn’t have to). In fact, they’re world renowned professors. Take a chance; I really don’t think it’ll hurt you.