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People Email Me Wanting to Do a PhD. Here's What Makes Me Say Yes.
Ali Hindi
November 01, 2025
"Dear Doctor, I am very interested in working with you for my PhD..."
I get these emails all the time. Passionate students from all over the world reaching out, hoping I'll be their supervisor. Honestly, I love it. Each message represents someone's dream, their next big adventure.
But here's the reality: I can't supervise everyone, so I must make choices.
I want to be real with you about what goes through my head when I read these emails. The point of this blog is not to discourage you, but to help you stand out for the right reasons.
If you're thinking of reaching out to a potential supervisor (or wondering why that professor never wrote back), let me pull back the curtain.
1. Grades matter, but they're not the whole story.
I'm not going to lie if your transcript is rough, I'll notice. But I've seen plenty of students with perfect grades who couldn't think outside the box, and there have been star students who had a few bumps along the way.
What I really care about? That you can think. That you get excited about ideas. That you're willing to dive deep and figure things out.
A solid academic record with a dissertation that shows curiosity and originality? That's what catches my attention.
The lesson: Show them you've got the hunger to learn, not just the ability to memorise.
2. I can tell in 10 seconds if you read my work.
Nothing kills my enthusiasm faster than this:
"Dear Professor, I am interested in your esteemed university and would be honoured to work under your guidance."
Translation: "I sent this exact email to 47 other professors and have no idea what you actually do."
Now compare that to:
"Hi! I recently read your paper on [specific topic] and I keep thinking about [specific point you made]. I'm really curious about [related question]. "
See the difference?
The lesson: Take a few hours. Read a couple of the target professor’s papers. Show them you actually care.
3. "I will work on anything!" is a red flag.
It might feel flexible, but what I hear is:
"I do not know what I want and hope you will just tell me what to do for four years."
A PhD is your journey. Supervisors guide, challenge, and support. Passion has to come from you. You do not need a perfect thesis proposal, but show that you are genuinely curious.
The lesson: Even a rough idea is better than no idea.
4. Fit matters
This isn't about me being picky but it's about setting both of us up for success.
If you want to study something I don't actually specialise in, we're both going to struggle. You'll feel like you're not getting the support you need. I'll feel like I'm guessing my way through. Nobody wins.
If we're going to spend 3-4 years working together, our research interests need to genuinely overlap.
The lesson: Find someone who's as excited about your topic as you are. That's when the magic happens.
5. Curiosity is everything
What excites me most are students who have actually thought about something. Maybe you read a paper and noticed a gap. Maybe you cannot stop thinking about a problem. That spark is what I look for.
The lesson: Show intellectual curiosity, not just memorisation.
6. Please don't lead with desperation.
The academic world is tough and funding is competitive. You really want this.
But when emails feel desperate, it makes me worry. Not because I don't care (I really do), but because PhDs are brutal. If you're only doing it because you're out of options, will you still be motivated when things get hard?
The lesson: Focus on why this research, why this supervisor, why now. Enthusiasm is better than desperation.
7. Sometimes it is not about you
If I do not respond, it is often because of capacity, timing, or a slight mismatch in research interests. Do not take it personally.
The lesson: Be thoughtful, genuine, and persistent. The right match is out there.
Final Thoughts
If you're reaching out to potential supervisors, here's my honest advice:
Do your homework, read some of their work and ask a real question. Show them you've thought about why them, why this research, why now.
Be enthusiastic and specific.
Remember: you're not just looking for any supervisor. You're looking for the right one. Someone who gets excited about the same stuff you do. Someone who'll have your back when things get tough.
That person exists. Go find them!
Questions to think about:
Have you actually read at least one or two papers by your potential supervisor, or are you just going off their title?
Can you clearly explain why this person's research excites you specifically?
Are you reaching out because you genuinely want to work with them, or just because you need a supervisor?
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