[USA] Reaching out to Graduate Professors
Hello, I am starting my fourth and final year in my undergraduate psychology program, and I plan to apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs this fall. Research compatibility is emphasized a lot, so I am wondering how common it is to reach out to potential advisors in advance of submitting an application. Most schools have not updated this information for the Fall 2027 application cycle yet, and I would like to plan ahead.
Do people reach out to faculty months in advance of application deadlines to ask if they will be accepting applicants and inquire about their research? When is too early or too late? What should be included in this type of message?
Additionally, does anyone have suggestions for finding faculty who advise graduate students? I realize that schools normally publish a list of faculty accepting students. However, I often find other faculty who more closely align with my research interests but do not act as advisors to graduate students. Does anyone have suggestions for this situation?