If you are seeking fully funded opportunities for graduate school, I always recommend that emailing potential supervisors is one of the most effective ways to increase your chances of getting funded.

Here is why. 1/n

- A THREAD
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Emailing potential supervisors as opposed to blind support applications gives you two privileges: association and fast feedback.

Aside the fact that it increases your chances, it helps position you for a relationship even if things fail. 2/n

Before landing my current fellowship, I have sent more than 300 emails to potential supervisors across the globe and I see a pattern: decision making interview decision making instructions to apply funding. 3/n

While I would say to a huge extent I have mastered the art and science of emailing people I am seeking opportunities from, it wasn't the case when I started.

I presume the same is the case for you, so I would give some tips to help you. 4/n

1) Always understand that you are writing a superior and must respect them by honoring their titles. Some PIs take it personal if you don't do this on first contact. You might get there and realise you can call them by first name as a custom, but not when you are an external. 5/n

2) Introduce yourself and ensure your academic background is captured as fast as possible.

You don't want a supervisor to be cracking his or her head over what your degrees are and all. Your email is likely to be read before your cv. Don't take chances. 6/n

3) Show how you fit and express both your narrow and broad research interests. It would help the supervisor understand whether you share similar or diverging interests. It's not bad if you had a different degree but now share similar interests. Communicate clearly. 7/n

4) Do not be shy to sell yourself. Show proof of your academic outputs (in terms of publications and where they were published) or achievements (inventions, patents, and whatever you created). Ultimately, you want to make them confident they can take a chance on you. 8/n

5) In addition to the above, if you have field trip experience or have participated in similar projects they are working on, communicate these things. It would help your case. 9/n.

6) If you can, suggest potential research ideas you have been thinking about. Even if you don't get to work on it, it would show a supervisor you are thinking in terms of their currency: "Research and Publishing". 10/n

7) Emphasize your technical skills as well as your desire to work with them. Football clubs these days only want players thirsty to join them and not because they have the right credentials. Great credentials and willingness to join must match.11/n

8) Thank them and let them know you are expecting to get a feedback as soon as they can possibly reply (They are extremely busy people).

If you don't get a reply within one or two weeks, send a follow up email. It may be lost somewhere. Use the same email thread.
12/n

9) If you do this right, you would begin to get positive responses in a short time. Some of my mentees have used this and within 7 days, some received the go ahead to apply. So, it's time for you tweek your system and continue writing as the road is not easy. 13/n

I created a resource to show you how to do this.

Watch here: http://bit.ly/contactsupervisors

14/n

For those who may not know how to search for supervisors online, among the many ways to contact supervisors, I created a resource to show you how to go about it.

See it here: http://bit.ly/usegoogletofindsupervisors

15/n

Thank you and I look forward to hearing your good news.

Kindly share and retweet so that those who need it would read and gain value from it.

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