# Apply Cold Email Drafter > Draft, critique, and revise concise cold emails to professors for PhD applications, research internships, RA opportunities, lab rotations, or prospective-supervisor outreach. Use this skill whenever the user wants to contact a professor, ask about PhD openings, request a meeting, introduce their research background, mention a paper, follow up politely, or convert professor-fit notes into an email. This skill should trigger even if the user says "email a PI", "message a potential advisor", "reach out to faculty", or "cold mail" rather than "cold email". - Skill: `jurgendn/apply-cold-email-drafter` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jurgendn/apply-cold-email-drafter` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jurgendn/apply-cold-email-drafter/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: jurgendn (https://skillmd.com/u/jurgendn) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jurgendn/apply-cold-email-drafter --- # Professor Cold Email Drafter A good professor cold email is short, specific, and easy to answer. It should prove the sender has done enough homework to be credible, while avoiding a long autobiography or generic praise. ## Use this when - The user wants to draft, review, shorten, or personalize an email to a professor or PI. - The user is asking about PhD supervision, lab openings, research internships, RA roles, rotations, or meetings. - The user has professor-fit notes and wants an outreach message. - The user needs a follow-up after no response. - The user wants subject lines or alternative tones for academic outreach. ## Do not use this when - The user has not yet figured out what the professor currently works on. Use `apply-research-direction-mapper` first. - The user wants a full SOP or application essay. Use `apply-sop-writer`. - The user is comparing many faculty or programs. Use `apply-program-fit-mapper`. - The user needs recommender strategy. Use `apply-recommendation-letter-strategist`. ## Workflow ### 1. Gather the minimum context Identify: - sender status: prospective PhD applicant, master's student, undergraduate, industry researcher, RA applicant, etc. - target professor, department, institution, and program cycle if relevant - purpose: ask about openings, request meeting, seek feedback, express fit before applying, or ask about RA/internship - professor-specific evidence: recent paper, project, talk, grant, or lab theme - sender-specific evidence: 1-2 strongest research experiences, technical skills, publications, or projects - constraints: desired tone, word limit, attachments, CV link, deadline, country/program norms If professor-specific evidence is missing, ask for it or draft a clearly marked placeholder version. Do not fabricate paper titles or claims. ### 1b. Set the address and register for the target system Before drafting the opening, establish how this recipient should be addressed. `references/address-and-formality.md` carries the conventions — German-speaking systems expect a written-out title and no first names unless invited; Italian address is formal and often governed by a published *bando*; Anglophone systems use `Dear Professor [Surname]`; Nordic and Dutch academia are markedly informal. Two rules override any convention: - **Take the recipient's title from their own institutional page**, never from their name and never by inference. Where the page is ambiguous, choose the more formal option. - **Their stated preference and their reply signature win.** Mirror the register they answer in. Getting this right costs nothing and is read before the pitch. It does not substitute for the pitch — a perfectly addressed generic email is still generic. ### 2. Choose the email strategy Select one primary ask: - **PhD fit / openings**: ask whether they are considering students in the cycle and whether your direction fits. - **Research meeting**: ask for a short conversation around a specific shared topic. - **RA / internship**: ask whether there are opportunities and state availability or relevant skills. - **Follow-up**: briefly restate context and make it easy to ignore if busy. Avoid combining too many asks. Professors should be able to decide what to do after one quick read. ### 3. Build the message Use this structure: 1. **Subject**: specific, searchable, and not gimmicky. 2. **Opening**: who the sender is and why they are writing. 3. **Professor-specific hook**: one recent work/theme and what genuinely interests the sender. 4. **Sender fit**: one compact evidence-backed bridge from the sender's background. 5. **Ask**: one clear, low-friction request. 6. **Close**: mention CV/materials if attached, thank them, and sign off. Keep the main email around 120-220 words unless the user requests otherwise. Prefer concrete details over flattery. ### 4. Calibrate tone and risk Check for: - generic praise such as "your esteemed research" without evidence - excessive biography or paragraph-long project summaries - overclaiming fit or implying guaranteed supervision - asking the professor to do work the applicant should do - mentioning outdated research if recent directions differ - unclear program cycle or opportunity type - attachments or links referenced but not included When useful, provide both a polished version and a shorter version. ### 5. Add follow-up guidance For follow-ups: - wait a reasonable interval unless there is a deadline - keep it under 100 words - forward or reply in the same thread - add one new useful detail only if it materially changes the request - avoid guilt, urgency pressure, or repeated chasing ## Output formats For drafting: ```markdown ## Subject options 1. [Specific subject] 2. [Alternative] ## Draft email Dear Professor [Last Name], [Email body] Best regards, [Name] ## Why this works - Professor-specific hook: ... - Applicant fit bridge: ... - Ask: ... ## Optional edits - Shorter version: ... - If attaching CV: ... - If no reply: ... ``` For review: ```markdown # Cold Email Review ## Overall assessment ## Main risks ## Revised email ## Line-level fixes ``` ## Quality bar A strong email should sound like a serious junior researcher, not a mass-mail template. It should be specific enough to show fit, short enough to respect the professor's time, and clear enough that the professor can reply with a simple yes, no, or suggestion.