When should I start contacting possible mentors and what is an appropriate way to make the initial contact?
Most PhD programs admit students only in the fall semester, and applications often must be made to the program by early in the spring semester. If you intend to enter a program in the fall, you will want to begin making contacts the preceding fall, or even earlier. The ASHA Convention is a good time to make contacts with faculty; particularly because it may be possible to talk with several members of the faculty from the programs you are interested in and to current doctoral students as well. Initial contacts may be made by mail, telephone, or e-mail. Introduce yourself by providing some background information. Don’t be afraid to say that you are in the initial stages of gathering information about doctoral programs so that you can make a decision about whether a PhD is for you. Before you contact a faculty member, make sure you have done some preliminary work by visiting the program’s Web site and the faculty member’s Web site, and by exploring the person’s research through databases
