Reaching out to potential PIs

[ExploringOptions]

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[psych.meout]

You should try to ascertain this information on your own first before emailing them. If the information is easily available on their program website or on their lab websites, it doesn't look good that you went straight to emailing them to answer questions you could have figured out on your own. They get so many emails like these that it can really add up even if they're only a couple of sentences long.

As far as something like whether or not they would be on sabbatical for your first year, I don't know that I would ask about that at all. It's not really that common and it could come off wrong to ask about it. It would be more appropriate to ask about it in a roundabout way once you actually get an in-person interview (e.g., "What would the first year look like with you in the program?").

 

[psych.meout]

Sorry, I may not have been clear. I have obviously researched all the potential PIs. I know what their area of interests are etc, but most of the websites do not say whether they are accepting new students. I would say on my list around 90% do not indicate on the program page. (These are not clinical programs. I know on the clinical pages the do state this more often.)

Editing my OP to make it clearer

It's way too early for programs to list on their websites whether they are taking students, as these programs don't have application deadlines until the end of the year. They might not even know yet who will be able to take new students or how many they will.

 

[Justanothergrad]

We may not know yet if we're taking students. Those conversations typically occur in August/during an initial program meeting. While many of us may have an idea, we don't 100% know yet. Research potential programs, focus on other stuff, then return to this around mid-late August.