Contacting graduate coordinator for a campus visit?
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
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Seriously, though, I would contact the GC. The departmental coordinator in my department is the one who helped me set up my visit - helped me find someone to stay with, told people I was coming, gave me vital information. She remembers everyone's name and situation (she never asks me the same question twice). She is perfect for this job. (Can anyone tell I love my DC?) Telling her what professors you want to meet with can't hurt because, like you said, she tends to know where professors are when and if they'd be around to meet with you.
The assc v. asst vs. full is a big thing that grad students often debate about. Associate and full professors are perfectly fine - they're tenured and are unlikely to go anywhere during your tenure at the school (well...mostly. Some universities may have associate professors who leave to do bigger and better things later).
Assistant professors...at some schools if you do most things right you get tenure. At other places (like the one I'm at) it's well known that this is a great place to start your career, but people hardly ever stay, lol. (Although I must've come at a good time because people are getting tenure left and right here!) I think it goes based on your gut. My advisor is an assistant professor and he was just such an incredible fit it didn't make sense to choose anyone else just because they were tenured. Besides, he still has enough time on the tenure clock that I should be almost done before he has to leave, if he doesn't get tenure. And in addition to that, my other advisor is a full professor, and I have other people who could step in if the need arose.
This is all stuff to consider when writing your SoP - but when you're just emailing the GC, don't worry about this.
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