YEs. But the timing of this email is crucial. An email ex ante in early November indicates interest. An email in mid December indicates desperation.
Moreover, keep in mind some places have bigger application pools than others. Small colleges may not attract that much interest. Elite Ivy League departments may get only 50 applications because advisors won't send their letters to Harvards/Stanfords etc's of the world. At Oregon, I think we're at the peak of the application Laffer curve. We're high enough ranked candidates shooting for the top might include us as a safety school. We're also low enough ranked, that candidates from lower ranked departments might apply to us as their stretch school.
Recently for an open search, we received over 800 applications. That's in part why timing is critical, and should be done via email from your advisor, or a traditional JOE signal. Don't call.
