What to Ask a PhD Advisor in Your First Meeting (And What to Avoid)

You sent the cold email, and the professor actually replied. Now you have a 30-minute video call scheduled for next week. Most students panic at this stage. They spend hours preparing a presentation about their master's thesis and treat the call like an oral exam.

While the professor will definitely evaluate your technical skills, you must remember that you are interviewing them too. You are about to sign away four to six years of your life to this person. If you only talk about yourself, you waste a massive opportunity to see how their lab actually runs.

Here are the exact questions you should ask a potential PhD supervisor during your first meeting to protect your future.

The Golden Rule: Do Not Ask What You Can Google

Before we cover what to ask, you need to know what to avoid. Professors hate it when students ask questions that are clearly answered on the lab website.

Do not ask, "What is your lab currently working on?" or "How many students do you have?" Asking these questions proves you did not do your homework. Your questions must be specific. They need to show that you read their recent papers and understand their field.

Questions About the Research Direction

You want to know where the professor is going, not where they have been. A professor might be famous for a structural engineering paper from 2018, but their new grant might be entirely focused on sustainable materials.

What to ask:

"I read your recent paper on [Specific Topic]. I found the methodology really interesting. Are you planning to keep pushing in that direction for the next few years, or is the lab shifting focus to a new grant?"

This question shows you read their work, and it forces them to tell you exactly what you will be working on if you join the lab.

Questions About Mentorship and Lab Operations

Some professors meet with their students twice a week. Others expect a summary email once a month. You need to know their style before you accept an offer. If you need close guidance, a hands-off professor will leave you feeling lost.

What to ask:

"How do you usually manage your first-year students? Do you prefer weekly one-on-one meetings, or do you expect students to figure out problems independently and only come to you with final results?"

Also, ask how the lab operates as a team. If you are applying to a history program, do the students read each other's drafts? If you are in computer science, how they manage the shared code repository?

The Money Question

You cannot pay your rent with passion. You need to know if the professor actually has the money to hire you. Many students are too shy to talk about money in the first meeting. Do not be shy. This is your career.

What to ask:

"If I were to join your group, what would the funding structure look like? Do you have grant funding secured for a research assistant, or would I need to work as a teaching assistant for the department every semester?"

The One Question to Always Ask at the End

When the meeting is wrapping up, the professor will usually ask if you need anything else. You must always make one specific request.

What to ask:

"Could you put me in touch with one or two of your current students? I would love to hear about their experience in the program."

A good professor will happily share their students' emails. If a professor hesitates, makes excuses, or refuses to let you talk to their team, that is a massive warning sign.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Treat your first meeting as a two-way street. Ask direct questions about research, money, and mentorship. If you get clear, honest answers, you have likely found a great supervisor.

Preparing for these interviews takes practice. At ApexApply, we help students by providing information that helps them to build custom question lists based on the exact professors they are meeting. We help you how to control the conversation, leave a great impression, and secure an offer that fits your goals.