Emailing a professor

This is just a suggestion/rough guideline. Please write your own letter.

Dear Dr.___________,

Intro: My name is _______. I am an undergraduate majoring in (or expecting to major in) ___________. I am interested in participating in research, especially your research concerning _____________. I’m interested in it because_________.  And I really think it would benefit my studies/career in ___this way____ . I’d love to take part in your lab because____________.

Relevant Experience/Information:

Mention applicable courses taken, lab experience, assistantships, leadership experience, or past job experience that would pertain to working with this faculty. It might be helpful to attach a resume to your email, in case the professor wants to look at that information. It also helps to mention what kind of time commitment you can make to the research with this professor. For instance, “I am willing to volunteer hours in the lab and am available to work on the project about 10 hours a week.” Mention that you are interested in applying for a UROP assistantship once you have experience in the lab/with the project, but that you can volunteer hours until that point.

Self-Promotion/Ask for a lab tour

I have a deep passion for __________________ and as a result I am interested in participating in research to further expand my knowledge and usefully apply it. I hope you will consider letting me take part in your research. If it is possible, I would like meet with you to discuss and learn about your intriguing research and tour your lab. Thank you very much in advance for your time.

Sincerely/I look forward to meeting you,

Name

E-mail address

Home or cell #