Working with faculty

One of the most important decisions that graduate students make is who they choose to study with. Because different people have differing attitudes toward what they expect from their graduate students it behooves the potential student to establish contact with their future mentor beforehand. This will ensure that you both have clear ideas of what to expect from them and they from you. An email or phone call is all it takes to get this process started. Granted this isn't necessarily a new idea, but I would also suggest going a step further before making a final decision. Wherever you are applying you should contact the graduate secretary and ask for contact information (phone, email) of any students currently working with your chosen faculty member. As colleagues they might be more willing to open up about the positives and negatives of working with a particular individual. Doing a little bit of homework can pay huge dividends in the future and help expedite your graduate school experience.