SLAC prof here: more transparency on department and individual websites would be extremely handy. E.g. no one wants to pay the application fee if Prof X is retiring/leaving — say who’s accepting students & how many per field. Share what you want people to know about you as advisor on your website.

I think more transparency is a good idea, but it’s not a formula. If students ask me “are you accepting students?”, the true answer is it’s not up to me. I weigh in on all modern Europe files and a bunch of international history files but the final decisions are made by a committee, not by advisors.

Just checked the Princeton history website and it is not helpful. You could even say: please do not email profs. But then you should tell them what they need to know before they put in the time and $$$ to apply.

Many years ago I was screwed by the PhD program I entered because the university course catalog covered 2 years + hence no mention of who'd be away/retired when I was to study.

Exactly. And every grad program should also post numbers...numbers applied, numbers accepted, numbers matriculation, GPA and test score stats, survival stats, outcome stats. If you're not going to bother speaking with them, the less opaque you are allowed to be.

I really believe that students would *prefer* to read a statement upfront on the department’s website letting them know what the department prefers, whatever that is. Students won’t think it’s standoffish; they’ll be relieved they can take a task off the list and not stress over ‘Should I or not?’

There’s a difference in time commitment, tho’, between answering an email enquiring about future plans & having the zoom conversations that the original poster mentioned. Those demand lot of energy and seem somewhat beside the point when admissions decisions are made by committees, not individuals

Didn't want to email and be a pain but it would have been good to know the potential adviser at one of my schools was being promoted to dean and wasn't taking students!