Hey fellows,
Below I have posted 10 email responses by professors when contacted for assistantships. This will give you an idea about how they respond when you send emails to them asking for financial aid. Also please read how to write to a professor asking for RA, sample resume and if you need more help, I would be happy to assist you.
Response 1
Dear XYZ,
Sorry that I could not reply earlier as I did not have the support for you. There may be a chance for funding for a PhD position in mechanics (not sure yet). If you are interested and available, please let me know and we can talk about your suitability.
Best wishes,
Prof XYZ
Response 2
Dear XYZ,
Thank you for your interest in my research and pursuing a graduate degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Your background and academic standing are quite impressive and seem particularly suited for the kind of research going on in my group. I would strongly encourage you to apply for graduate program in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at IIT for Fall 2007. Please visit the following website for more detailed information about the application procedure:
http://www.grad.iit.edu/admission/
And please let me know when you submit your application package so that I can follow it through.
I might have research assistantship available for Fall 2007. However, you should understand that it is quite competitive and I cannot make a commitment for financial support right now. The possibility of arranging a combination of TAship and RAship troughout your MS study seems quite high to me though. For me to work on a formula like that please check the appropriate box on the application form for financial aid consideration and submit your application as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you can send me 1- or 2-page "statement of purpose" along with the email and contact information of two references (note that this is completely separate from your application package). Please include in your "statement of purpose" the reasons for your motivation to work in my group and your future career goals.
Best regards,
Response 3
Dear XYZ,
Your background looks very good. Please do apply to our department. There are always open positions.
Look forward to reviewing your application.
Thanks,
Response 4
dear XYZ:
Many thanks. I will look forward to reviewing your application.
ABC
Response 5
Dear XYZ:
Thanks for your message. You have an impressive set of qualifications
and I will be looking for one or two incoming students next fall. However,
time is somewhat short (the preferred deadline for application to Duke
is Dec. 15). I cannot promise you admission if you apply, because there
will be
several strong applicants to my program if the past is any
indication---but I do think that your application would be competitive.
Should you decide to apply, please let me know that you have done so.
You can apply on line at www.gradschool.duke.edu.
Best,
Response 6
Dear XYZ,
thank you for your inquiry. Upon reading your e-mail and your resume, I am not sure whether I am the most suitable person for you to contact. It seems to me that your area of interest is in Design and Experimental Mechanics/Solid Mechanics (specially your senior year projects). My research efforts are in the area of Computational Mechanics and focus on the development of computer simulations of material behavior (in specific composites and problems involving fluid-solid interaction).
I do believe that your resume is impressive, but of course that is not enough to work with any Professor. There have to be a matching interests. I can of course be mistaken and, if so, I would want you to clarify this.
There are also other faculty here in the Mechanical Engineering Department as well as in the Aerospace Engineering Department that are active in the areas of Design and Experimentation. Lorin Maletsky, for instance, has a Design emphasis in his research on the mechanics of the knee (this is a bio-engineering application). Prof. Dougherty, the Chair of the Department also has a strong Design and Measurements focus in his work as well. You might want to contact these Faculty as well. In addition, I would like to encourage you to contact the Aerospace Eng. Dept. to see if their would be a better match for your research interests.
If you see a mutual interest, then I would definitely recommend you to submit an application for admission to the Graduate Program soon.
I hope this information helps. if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Response 7
Dear XYZ,
I appreciate your interest in doing research with me. Unfortunately, my administrative duties as chancellor do not allow me the time to take on any more graduate students.
You have completed some very interesting projects, and I wish you much success as you continue your studies in aerospace engineering.
Sincerely,
Response 8
Dear XYZ,
I do not personally have any opportunities in the reasonably near future
for research assistants in the area of your interest.
If you wish to make a general application to the Engineering Science and
Mechanics Department for graduate studies, go to the website
http://www.esm.vt.edu, select "prospective students," and follow the
various links there as appropriate.
Best wishes,
Response 9
Dear XYZ:
Unfortunately I don't have any openings in my research group.
With regrets,
ABC
Response 10
Dear XYZ -
I thank you for your interest in my research program. Yes, it does seem
that your experience is well-aligned with my current research interests
here. Are you intending to pursue a Masters or a PhD degree? Have you
applied for admission to the graduate program? If not, then please apply.
Your acceptance into the program is the first step.
I currently have several students graduating, so there will be openings in
my research lab. Funding of new positions depends on pending proposals, so
that is decided after receipt of awards. Some students are funded via
fellowships and teaching assistantships as well.
From this point, you should apply to the graduate program. We can continue
contact. I can provide more information about current research projects
(after the current term ends and time is more available).
Thank you again for your interest in my research program.
*** will be posting some more useful stuff like sample resumes, job opportunities in different fields etc etc. keep checking in this blog!
Below I have posted 10 email responses by professors when contacted for assistantships. This will give you an idea about how they respond when you send emails to them asking for financial aid. Also please read how to write to a professor asking for RA, sample resume and if you need more help, I would be happy to assist you.
Response 1
Dear XYZ,
Sorry that I could not reply earlier as I did not have the support for you. There may be a chance for funding for a PhD position in mechanics (not sure yet). If you are interested and available, please let me know and we can talk about your suitability.
Best wishes,
Prof XYZ
Response 2
Dear XYZ,
Thank you for your interest in my research and pursuing a graduate degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Your background and academic standing are quite impressive and seem particularly suited for the kind of research going on in my group. I would strongly encourage you to apply for graduate program in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at IIT for Fall 2007. Please visit the following website for more detailed information about the application procedure:
http://www.grad.iit.edu/admission/
And please let me know when you submit your application package so that I can follow it through.
I might have research assistantship available for Fall 2007. However, you should understand that it is quite competitive and I cannot make a commitment for financial support right now. The possibility of arranging a combination of TAship and RAship troughout your MS study seems quite high to me though. For me to work on a formula like that please check the appropriate box on the application form for financial aid consideration and submit your application as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you can send me 1- or 2-page "statement of purpose" along with the email and contact information of two references (note that this is completely separate from your application package). Please include in your "statement of purpose" the reasons for your motivation to work in my group and your future career goals.
Best regards,
Response 3
Dear XYZ,
Your background looks very good. Please do apply to our department. There are always open positions.
Look forward to reviewing your application.
Thanks,
Response 4
dear XYZ:
Many thanks. I will look forward to reviewing your application.
ABC
Response 5
Dear XYZ:
Thanks for your message. You have an impressive set of qualifications
and I will be looking for one or two incoming students next fall. However,
time is somewhat short (the preferred deadline for application to Duke
is Dec. 15). I cannot promise you admission if you apply, because there
will be
several strong applicants to my program if the past is any
indication---but I do think that your application would be competitive.
Should you decide to apply, please let me know that you have done so.
You can apply on line at www.gradschool.duke.edu.
Best,
Response 6
Dear XYZ,
thank you for your inquiry. Upon reading your e-mail and your resume, I am not sure whether I am the most suitable person for you to contact. It seems to me that your area of interest is in Design and Experimental Mechanics/Solid Mechanics (specially your senior year projects). My research efforts are in the area of Computational Mechanics and focus on the development of computer simulations of material behavior (in specific composites and problems involving fluid-solid interaction).
I do believe that your resume is impressive, but of course that is not enough to work with any Professor. There have to be a matching interests. I can of course be mistaken and, if so, I would want you to clarify this.
There are also other faculty here in the Mechanical Engineering Department as well as in the Aerospace Engineering Department that are active in the areas of Design and Experimentation. Lorin Maletsky, for instance, has a Design emphasis in his research on the mechanics of the knee (this is a bio-engineering application). Prof. Dougherty, the Chair of the Department also has a strong Design and Measurements focus in his work as well. You might want to contact these Faculty as well. In addition, I would like to encourage you to contact the Aerospace Eng. Dept. to see if their would be a better match for your research interests.
If you see a mutual interest, then I would definitely recommend you to submit an application for admission to the Graduate Program soon.
I hope this information helps. if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Response 7
Dear XYZ,
I appreciate your interest in doing research with me. Unfortunately, my administrative duties as chancellor do not allow me the time to take on any more graduate students.
You have completed some very interesting projects, and I wish you much success as you continue your studies in aerospace engineering.
Sincerely,
Response 8
Dear XYZ,
I do not personally have any opportunities in the reasonably near future
for research assistants in the area of your interest.
If you wish to make a general application to the Engineering Science and
Mechanics Department for graduate studies, go to the website
http://www.esm.vt.edu, select "prospective students," and follow the
various links there as appropriate.
Best wishes,
Response 9
Dear XYZ:
Unfortunately I don't have any openings in my research group.
With regrets,
ABC
Response 10
Dear XYZ -
I thank you for your interest in my research program. Yes, it does seem
that your experience is well-aligned with my current research interests
here. Are you intending to pursue a Masters or a PhD degree? Have you
applied for admission to the graduate program? If not, then please apply.
Your acceptance into the program is the first step.
I currently have several students graduating, so there will be openings in
my research lab. Funding of new positions depends on pending proposals, so
that is decided after receipt of awards. Some students are funded via
fellowships and teaching assistantships as well.
From this point, you should apply to the graduate program. We can continue
contact. I can provide more information about current research projects
(after the current term ends and time is more available).
Thank you again for your interest in my research program.
*** will be posting some more useful stuff like sample resumes, job opportunities in different fields etc etc. keep checking in this blog!
