Since this has blown up and I’m seeing lots of anxiety about it I want to clarify that this varies by field and by country! Lots of great advice and resources in the comments.
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Also, this tweet was to remind profs to get their heads out of their asses, not to make you feel like you did something wrong. You didn’t! It’s a broken system and there are a lot of wonderful people out there trying to fix it. Keep doing your best

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Direct communication between the applicant and potential advisor can play a useful role in assessment. But the faculty member should take the initiative and arrange to chat with the prospective student, rather than expecting it to be the other way around.
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Agreed! This is what I plan to do.
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Graduate groups/universities even charge you an application fee, but they don't tell you that no one will look at your application unless you satisfy a secret, untold requirement.
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Or that you can get the fee waved
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that's a very concrete example of gatekeeping, you can't know this stuff unless you're proactive in seeking insider info abt academia &/or mentors who can guide you. the latter is esp harder w less privilege. rejecting ppl based on unwritten rules has little to do w merit.
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The former is likely unimaginable to
#firstgen as the visible grad application process appears same as undergrad (e.g. replacing SAT w/ GRE). Undergrad does not have expectation to reach out to faculty and solicit insider info
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also international students who probably only know academic etiquette in THEIR country. there are places where it's not polite to waste a professor's time with inquiries prior to admission. there are places where that is strictly forbidden!
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Great point! I didn’t know that! Thanks for sharing.
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