Application essays
The supervisor email that opened a PDE summer-school application
A short, specific outreach email is not a request for a supervisor to do your work. It is proof that you understand the programme and can explain your fit.
Verified expert
Dr. Marcus Stein · Postdoctoral Researcher
Technical University of Munich
Marcus works in nonlinear PDE and has reviewed summer-school applications and research statements.
5 min readPublished 8/12/2026Updated 8/18/2026
Keep it to five parts
My successful email had five short parts: who I was, the programme I was applying to, one precise research connection, one item of evidence, and one answerable question.
I am applying to the summer school because I am beginning work on dispersive equations. Your note on local smoothing helped me understand why my current approach breaks down. Would you recommend I foreground that project in the application, or keep the statement focused on the prerequisite analysis courses?
What I attached
Only a one-page CV. I did not attach an unfinished proposal, certificates, or a generic transcript dump. The programme already had its own submission process.
No-IELTS pathways
A waiver is not a universal exemption. It usually means the host accepts a previous degree taught in English, a letter from your institution, or another approved test. Read the event’s own eligibility page and ask before assuming your document qualifies.
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