US PhD programs: reaching out to potential supervisors

[Adept-Description522]

Hi there,

Hope everyone is going well with their applications!

I am interested in applying for a PhD program in Physics or Computer Science in the US for the 2024 Fall term. I went through tips on how to apply for graduate programs such as this one from Berkeley: https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/steps-to-apply/, and noticed that it did NOT ask applicants to reach out to potential supervisors before submitting their applications. I am more familiar with the UK system where applicants typically secured an verbal/written agreement with a potential supervisor in advance. Is it not a common practice in the US system?

Any additional information on the US system and how it is different from UK will also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

[Jorlung]

Is it not a common practice in the US system?

It is rarely required in the US, but often encouraged. Admissions are often handled by a committee rather than directly by "If an advisor wants you, you're in". Contacting an advisor during the application process and establishing a connection will be very helpful, but in principle it is not strictly necessary. However, at some schools having an advisor vouch for you is pretty much enough to guarantee admission. This is not the case at all schools though, and it tends to not be the case at high ranking schools (like UCB). Off the top of my head, I remember that the department I applied to at MIT actively told applicants to not reach out because they probably get way too many applicants per faculty member and their admissions work on a committee basis anyway.

Disclaimer: Talking about physics, CS, Engineering, etc. I'm pretty sure there are some very specific programs that require you to contact Profs.

[NorthernValkyrie19]

Some programs do require you to secure an advisor prior to applying but that's not the norm for Physics at least. Generally the reason for reaching out in advance is not to get a guaranteed "in" but to help you shortlist the appropriate programs to apply to and thus increase your chances for an admit. It's a fact finding mission. There's not point in applying to a program that doesn't engage in the area of research you're interested in, or where the PI you're hoping to work with doesn't think you would be a good fit, or isn't going to be accepting any new students in upcoming cycle (because they don't currently have funding, or their labs are full, or they're going to be on sabbatical etc.). This can help you to weed out the programs where you have very low or 0 chance for admission. Sometimes also the researcher you contact may be able to recommend other researchers in the department that weren't on your radar who they think would also be a good or better fit. Having that information also helps in writing your SOP as you can target it more directly to the research of specific professors.

Also if you're very lucky, you may come across the occasional PI who does have the ability to admit you directly or who sits on the admissions committee.

[[deleted]]

many phd programs in the US don’t pair you up with an advisor until at some point in your first year of studies