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

[smyleykyley]

Associate professors are tenured, so working with them makes lots of sense. Assistant professors are on the tenure track, so they are less likely to be around for the duration of your program.

I think your instincts are right: you are over thinking this. From what you have described, there is no way you are going to offend anyone. Take a deep breath and hit send. :)

[shanrina]

Thanks!

[brittdreams]

This really depends on the assistant professor. I worked with a tenure-track assistant prof for my master's and several members of my cohort are working with an assistant prof for either MA or PhD. Why? Because their research is good and they're doing what they need to do to get tenure.

[roseofjuly]

Ditto this - I say this all the time because my advisor is an assistant professor. He kicks major ass. But I'm biased.

[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.

[roseofjuly]

Graduate coordinators are deities. They know everything