After we announce our graduation projects for the term, we get many emails from students. Some write too short (“I am interested in your project, can you tell me more about it”) without any useful information about their background or suitability, others write too long (their whole career plan in a page, ending with some specific question or request). While they sit in the inbox waiting to be answered, someone else writes and commits to the project and gets theion posit!

To secure a place in a project (e.g. TUBITAK Star or Pure project at SU etc), you should read up and think as much about the project as you can, give relevant info about yourself (especially citing related coursework and stating why you would like to be in that project…) and then, ask me to consider you to the project. Also, do not assume the prof has only one project, so indicate which one clearly (so don’t just say “I am interested in your project”).

More generally, when you are writing an email asking something, be brief, clear and complete with all the relevant info, to reduce unnecessary emailing back and forth or losing your spot in the queue.