Sending the First Email

Reaching out to someone you don't know can be intimidating! We've put together a short guide, some tips, and external resources that will hopefully help you through the process. Finding the right mentor can take some time, so don't give up!

Subject:

You want to have a clear, informative subject that allows the recipient to know exactly what the contents of the email will be before they even open it. 

Body:

1. Address the person who you are sending the message to. Don't simply say, "Hi" or "Dear Professor".

2. Introduce yourself. You'll want to let the recipient know who you are. Some important things to include are: your name, major, and your year in school. If you know the person or were referred to the person by someone, mention that. 

3. Explain why you are interested. Mentors put a lot of time and energy into their mentees, so they are typically looking for someone that will reciprocate that. You'll want to make sure you express your interest/ excitement for the opportunity to work with this person. Give specific examples from your own experience if you can. You should do some background research on what kinds of research the person does and is interested in. 

4. Sell yourself. You'll want to include a short bit of why you believe you're qualified/ would be a good fit to work with them. Address qualifications that the mentor may be looking for. You can tie in your future goals here as well.

5. Make it easy to set up a meeting. You will probably want to follow up with the recipient, and oftentimes scheduling a meeting or a phone call is easier than going back and forth over email. If you anticipate wanting a meeting to discuss the possibilities, you can give them specific days and times you are available. However, understand that the recipients are busy people and may not have any availability within a day or two of when you send the email. I suggest giving a range of dates that are appropriate to when the first email is sent and expressing your availability outside of that restricted range.

6. Sign off. You'll want to end the email with a sign off that is separate from the email signature. 

Signature:

You want to have a professional signature that really makes your email look polished. For undergraduate students, we recommend including...

• Your full name, including your middle name or initials. Avoid using nicknames.

• Major

• Name of university and year of graduation

• Email address

Tips

• Do some background research on what the person you're reaching out to does. See our "Finding a Research Mentor" page for more information.

• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Make sure your email makes sense and is free of spelling and grammatical errors before sending! It might help to write it in a word editor and paste it into an email.

• Be concise. You're not telling them your whole life story, so you'll want to be sure to get your point across with minimal text. The more text there is, the less likely someone is to read it all.

• Don't use slang, abbreviations, or emojis.

• Do not mention being paid. They will bring it up if there is an opportunity for that. 

• If you have a resume/ CV prepared, think about attaching it. Don't say, "I can send a copy of my resume/ CV upon request". You want to make things as simple as possible for your potential mentor and avoid extra, unnecessary, emails.

• If sending messages from a cell phone, make sure that automatic signature that says, 'sent from my iPhone' or 'send from my Samsung Galaxy S7' is turned off. Even if you are using the Outlook app, your email signatures do not sync between platforms.

• Send the email during working hours. You'll want to show that you understand personal boundaries, so try to send your email between 8:00am and 5:00pm M-F. Using the 'Schedule Send' function can help a lot with that.

Be patient. Potential mentors are busy people. Many graduate students in the department balance coursework, teaching responsibilities, research obligations, and have personal lives. Faculty members balance teaching, commitments to the university, research obligations, and have personal lives. You may not receive a response in your ideal time frame. Sometimes emails do get lost, but you should give them at least 3-5 full business days from your initial email before sending a follow-up.

Don't be discouraged. If a potential mentor turns you down, you shouldn't take it personally. There are many reasons why this may have happened (i.e., they may not have the time necessary for you, there may not be space in the lab right now, they aren't a good fit for your research interests). Finding the right mentor can take time.

The Do's and Don'ts of Contacting Professors about Research, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University

How to Email a Professor Regarding Research, Undergraduate Research Opportunities, University of California Santa Cruz

How to Email Your Professor, Wellesley College Project on Social Computing

RE: Your Recent Email to Your Professor, Inside Higher Ed