In each of the admission seasons for PhD or MSc in managing funds, emailing the potential supervisor is a must yet a highly challenging task. I have seen many fail to write a proper cold email due to various issues. The major ones are a generic style, failure to understand the potential research fits, and unnecessary details. These are the primary reasons for NOT getting replies from potential supervisors. No matter how busy a professor is, they will certainly reply to your emails if they see a possible fit and a well-tailored email.
This blog is entirely based on my experience and how I received many replies from potential supervisors. I consulted with my known professors to get their views. Therefore, this blog will surely help you.
You can divide your cold emails into three sections, all needing to be connected. That is why sending a generic email and getting a response is impossible in the age of AI. Professors receive hundreds of emails daily, and you must be exceptional to gain their attention from the beginning.
This is important because you should tell the Professor what this email is about and clarify the subject. Firstly, you should state that you are a "Prospective PhD/MSc Applicant," then specify which term you are interested in: "Fall 2026/Semester 2," and end with your research interest. One possible subject line could be:
"Prospective PhD/MSc Applicant for Fall 26 Interested in Machine Learning"
Address your Professor by their last name for the first interaction. It does not matter in major cases, but this is the safest option.
For example, when writing an email to Prof. Yann LeCun, write: "Hello Prof. LeCun," "Dear Prof. LeCun," or "Hello Dr. LeCun." Any of these are appropriate and will not create a bad impression.
Introduce yourself in this section. Do not use generic phrases like I hope you are doing well; just say "Good Morning" or "Good Day." Then, talk about your current affiliation and your current research, blending in your most recently attained degree.
Do not mention your CGPA; it is completely unnecessary; if the Professor is interested, they will find it in your CV. However, if you have a distinction (such as summa cum laude or magna cum laude) or if you are in the top 5% of your class, mentioning it won't hurt you if it is concise.
(You need to write this section within 40-50 words, so be sure how you will represent yourself concisely.)
This is the most crucial section, and trust me, writing this section using any LLM will result in no reply from the Professor.
Do NOT use ChatGPT or any LLM to generate this part.
Anyone can tell if it is LLM-generated or written by you, and remember, a professor receives hundreds of emails per day from qualified candidates, so your LLM-generated email will not help you.
You can start by explaining why you are interested in the Professor's research. The best way to do this is to mention any grant they currently have that aligns with your research interests or any opportunity they have available. If this information is not available, then follow their recent research trends. Next, discuss why that grant or research is important for your studies and why you want to pursue higher studies on that topic. Don't get confused; you need to discuss the Professor's research very technically and comprehensively, briefly incorporating why you are interested. You can reference some recently published papers by the Professor on that topic and discuss why they are essential for your research. Be sure you select a paper that the Professor supervises; generally, they would be the first or last author in most cases.
One interesting part is asking or telling any potential research question about the topic; it generally works well. (Again, don't ask LLM to generate research questions; you need to develop them by reading the papers. Here is the fun of being a researcher, right?)
DO NOT BE GENERIC AND ROBOTIC.
People write one paragraph and ask LLM to follow the template. LLM writes for other professors by getting some information. IF YOU DO SUCH THINGS, YOU ARE NOT READY FOR HIGHER STUDIES, AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET ANY REPLY. People who get replies spend a couple of hours writing this paragraph for a single professor; there are no shortcuts. Write a high-quality email, connect with the Professor's research, and get a reply or interview.(Use a maximum of 120 words for this section; I used to keep it under 100 words yet fully connect with the Professor.)
Let me tell you, I used to discuss my research and where it was published within 100 words, but I got mixed reviews from the professors I know. Some said a research statement would be more appropriate, while others said that there is very little chance that the Professor would open your research statement. So this is entirely up to you, but a concise 80-100 words showing you have published research papers in the domain of your potential Professor will increase your chances of getting an interview. But be concise.
End your email by mentioning the attachments you are going to include. You should attach your CV and a research statement (I didn't attach any research statement, but you should. LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES; THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG.) You do not have to attach any other documents; if anything is required, your Professor will ask you.
To understand what a good research statement looks like, I found Prof. Bharath Hariharan's research statement extremely helpful — it’s concise, clear, and well-written.
📄 Prof. Bharath Hariharan's Research Statement (PDF)
- Quality over quantity: why would you need to send thousands of emails? You need to do your research with a professor whose research aligns with yours; otherwise, would you enjoy your PhD/MSc research? Certainly not. Only good, quality, tailored emails will get you a reply.
- Select your Professor wisely, and do not waste their time and yours if there is no research fit. Some mention on their website that they are not taking any students; follow that.
- Start early!
If you like this blog and it helped you, a ⭐ STAR in this repository would be appreciated.
If you want my full consultation about:
- Feedback for your cold emails
- Guidance for Writing Statement of Purpose
- Guidance for Writing Diversity/Personal Statements
- Guidance for Writing Research Proposals
- Any other admission-related consultations for USA and Australia
For writing this blog, Dr. Shawan Chowdhury’s blog on Writing an academic cover letter helped me highly, and I got benefited from that as well. You can check it out here: https://shawanchowdhury.com/2022/07/06/writing-an-academic-cover-letter/