Contacting graduate coordinator for a campus visit?

[shanrina]

Hi, everyone. I'm currently drafting an email to the graduate coordinator of one of the programs I'm applying to, and I'm having a really hard time figuring out what to say to her and what to just say to the professors I'm planning to contact. Should I tell her which professors I'd like to speak with? (My logic is that if I tell her then she'll be

Comments

[anonymous]

Just bear in mind that the grad coordinator will not know the schedules of the other professors, and that they will most likely not coordinate a meeting with them for you.
Honestly, i'd suggest emailing the professors you're interested in working with first. Then when you get some potential dates for your visit, contact the coordinator. You don't REALLY need to meet with that person, it's much more important that you interview with mentors. But the grad coordinator (at least in our department), will try to arrange an extra meeting with some grad students.

[shanrina]

The school specifically said to contact the graduate coordinator before visiting (actual phrasing is "Contact the graduate coordinator by email or phone to ask questions and learn about opportunities to visit UT Austin or connect with faculty" which I interpreted as "get in touch with the GC before anything else," although that could be wrong).

[hejjhog]

Well, I think prof's would much rather you contact them directly by email, but since you're not 100% sure of the 1-2 people you really want to work with, I'd contact the graduate coordinator by e-mail, saying:
*what you're interested in
*what you've done so far (like, undergrad research and stuff)
*which of your interests match which of the departments research strengths
*which of your interests match which of the professors interests (as the person above said, mention the full and associate profs). Make sure to list all faculty you're interested in working with and provide a reason why FOR EACH
*attach a copy of your CV

There is a chance (this is my hypothesis, mind you, but that's what I'd infer from the "Contact the graduate coordinator by email or phone to ask questions and learn about opportunities to visit UT Austin or connect with faculty" ) that the graduate coordinator will forward your email to the profs you mention and they will then say
a) whether or not they'll even talk to you
b) when they can talk with you

[shanrina]

Thanks! That's a really good list.

[fullofpink]

My guess is that the grad coordinator may forward the message to the department administrator who will most likely know the schedule of his colleagues if the DGS does not know himself/herself. My school's DGS has the office hours pasted on his wall.

[shanrina]

Hm, interesting. Thanks for the info.

[anonymous]

I never corresponded once with my department's grad coordinator before I applied, all my correspondences with the department was with potential mentors. My concerns with going thru the GC to set up your meetings is that 1) like I said they will not know their schedule (my mentor takes vacation sporadically and doesn't let the department know until like 2 days before), and 2) most professors would rather you contact them first.
I'm not saying don't contact the GC if you're coming for a visit, what I mean is to coordinate your own visit with your meetings with potential advisors then tell the GC you're planning to come and ask to sit in on a class, a department tour, and potentially a chance to talk with the grad students.