One of the queries we receive very often, especially from our readers, is how to write an email to a professor about grades. We understand that it is when most students get to college that they actually start taking their grades seriously, and this is for so many reasons. One of the reasons for this, is that most scholarship recipients are expected to submit their grades to the sponsoring organization at the end of every academic session. This is to qualify them to receive scholarship money for the next year.
Another reason why students may want to contact a professor for their grades is to make an appeal on a grade they think is unfair. It could just be that they want to know what their grade point average is.
Regardless of what your reason is, it does no harm to send your professor an email.
What we have done in this post is provide you with all the information you will need to write an email to your lecturer. We have included some sample templates that you can use for this to make it easier for you.
Emailing a professor?
Contacting your professor is something you will find yourself doing quite often during your undergraduate or graduate studies. You do not need to be scared about it. Remember that professors are human beings like you. You don’t have to be intimidated, however, there are a couple of things to consider before you contact a professor.
In all your communication with your professor, you must appear courteous, responsible, and professional. You do not want to come off as rude in your emails.
Remember that your professor is the one directing your academics and studies as an expert in the field that you are currently studying. Therefore, he or she is very crucial to the direction your career takes.
Always leave a positive impression each time you contact your professor, as your correspondence with him can affect whether they would offer you additional opportunities for growth like internships and assistantships.
How to address a Professor in an Email
Before you write an email, think carefully about why you are writing and what you want to write about. You will need to go straight to the point and not beat around the bush. A professor can teach several sections of the same class or completely different courses, so he or she does not have all the time in this world to attend to you.
This way your professor can know the exact reason you are sending a mail to him. It doesn’t matter if you are friends with your professor, it is important to remain professional. For example, the beginning of your email should read “Dear Professor Paul” instead of ‘Dear Paul’.
How to format an email to a professor?
Begin your email with an introduction of yourself. Include your full name and the name and the class you belong to for which you are writing.
Phrase your email like a request. Write something like, “I would love to hear from you about something that affects my grade in your class.” That way, he knows exactly what you want.
Then go ahead to describe what your issue is. Be very precise. For instance, you could write, “I do not understand why I got an F on the assignment I wrote that was titled” Industrialization in the 21st century.” Make sure you are not being disrespectful.
Find out your professor’s preference for solving the matter. You could write something along the line of “Could you please explain why I received this grade? If you would prefer to speak about it to me in person, kindly let me know. I would be glad to meet with you during your office hours.
Do not forget to also leave your phone number, alternative email address, and House address (if needed) So it’s easier for him to reach you with feedback. Finally, end politely with an expression of gratitude and goodwill. You could say something like, “I appreciate your time and attention to my request. I want to do well in your class and hopefully, our communication will help me do it more effectively.”
How to write an Email to a Professor about Grades?
When writing a letter to the professor about grades, do not be disrespectful, and do not blame the professor for any reason. Always be respectful and friendly when sending your request, and remember not to forget to add information about your class so the professor can help you easily.
Avoid using causal language and speaking to the professor as your friend, even though he may be without properly acknowledging him or her.
Chances are that you may not be a good writer and may not be able to come up with a professional email or letter, but there are a couple of tools that you can use to gain confidence and correct mistakes. For example, the online writing assistance – Grammarly offers a free browser extension that allows users to write correctly and check for syntax, spelling, punctuation, typographical errors, and style.
The corrections and changes provide helpful explanations to help you make informed decisions about how to edit your final email. Tools such as Grammarly are invaluable for every student and offer real-time editing not only for emails to the faculty but also for your term papers, assignments, and research works.
Use your Official academic email to Contact the Professor.
I assume that as a student you have a .edu email address or whatever official email extension your school uses. Also, the email should be one that contains your names for example martin.ray@xxxx.edu
Let the subject line be self-explanatory.
The earlier your professor knows what you’re asking for, the sooner they can help you. So make it easy for them to understand the body of the email without even opening the email.
Greet him or her professionally
Avoid calling professors “Mr.” or “Mrs.” Confirm your status and make sure you know the correct titles (Dr., Professor, etc.)
Introduce yourself briefly
Even if your class size is small, your professor has many other classes and students and so it will be difficult for him to recognize everyone by name. However, help your professor recognize you quickly by introducing yourself with your first and last name, as well as the title and section number of your class as we have already stated above.
Keep it formal
Do not use abbreviations, emojis, or stickers. Keep it formal
Communicate clearly and precisely
This is the most important part of writing a professor. You should be able to articulate your thoughts. If you are not able to do this in three sentences or less, please give the professor an idea of what you need help with and request a face-to-face meeting with him/her.
Be polite
Your professor is a person with feelings. So “please” and “thank you” go far. And it never hurts to add a line that wishes you a great weekend or good afternoon. However, there’s only a thin line between being polite and being flirty especially if the professor is of the opposite gender. Do not cross that line.
How to end an email to a professor
End with a formal greeting such as “Thank you”, “Best” and “Kind regards”, followed by your first and last name.
Follow-up
The truth is that most professors are very busy with research work, so chances are they may miss your email or skip replying to you. If they do not get in touch with you after a few days, contact them personally before or after the next lesson.
In summary, there are general tips on writing a letter to the professor about grades
- Be respectful and concise.
- Contact your professor with the appropriate login information.
- Add your name, student ID number, class, and section. (if applicable).
- Provide a valid excuse
- Never blame the professor.
- Establish your willingness to improve or solve the situation.
- Send a follow-up letter if you don’t get a response after a week.
Email Templates for sending a mail to your professor
Sample Emails to a professor about grades
If you have any questions or concerns about your grade, it is possible that your professor is unable to share certain information with you by email due to certain privacy reasons.
If you are unable to attend office hours to ask your question in person, request an appointment at a time that is within your schedule. Find below sample emails from a student to a professor about their grades.
- Sample letter to the professor asking for one more grade to pass the examination
- Letter to the professor asking for a chance to improve grades
- Sample letter to professor for replacement of last assignment for improving grades
- Letter to the professor for taking out the grade of one assignment
Sample letter to the professor asking for one more grade to pass their examination
From
Martin Ray
Center for Professional Studies
xScholarship Univerity
To
Prof. Costa
xScholarship University
New York,
Sub: Request for one more grade to pass examinations
Dear Prof Costa,
My name is Martin Ray, a sophomore student currently taking your course on Globalization. I request another grade to pass my exam. The test you placed on February 20, 2020, collided with the school’s sports calendar and on that day I represented the school in a basketball competition.
As a result of this, I was unable to fully concentrate on this course and, due to the lack of adequate time and preparation, I was unable to assert myself as well as I expected that I would not have passed my exams.
Please, if I fail in your subject, my intended graduate program will be affected. I ask you to give me an additional test to pass my exam. If you need us to talk further, please do so at this number [+448000XXX] or send me an email to martin.ray@xxxxx.edu.
Thank you for your time
Sincerely,
Martin Ray
4449900555
Letter to the professor for taking out the grade of one assignment
From
Martin Ray
Center for Professional Studies
xScholarship Univerity
To
Prof. Costa
xScholarship University
New York,
Request to delete a grade to pass a course.
Dear Prof. Costa,
I am writing this letter about an assignment you gave on April 26, 2022, on the causes of World War II. Unfortunately, i was unable to complete the job because I became sick and spent the whole of last week in the hospital. Therefore, the work I submitted was incomplete.
I have previously performed well throughout the course work and I am grateful if you delete the grade for this assignment as it lowers my overall grade point average. I regret not being able to do my best and apologize for this.
For more information please contact me at this number +4400000 or send me an email at martin.ray@xxxxx.edu. I am very sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Martin Ray
4449900555
Letter to the professor asking for a chance to improve grades
From
Martin Ray
Center for Professional Studies
xScholarship Univerity
To
Prof. Costa
xScholarship University
New York,
Request for a make-up test to improve my grades
Dear Prof Costa
I am writing this letter to request a makeup test for a chance to improve my grades. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, I was unable to complete my test.
I was desperate and worried during contacting the Coronavirus that I couldn’t concentrate on the test and had to go. I was concerned about my condition.
I would be very happy if you would give me a makeup test to improve my grades. I have recovered completely and I think I’m ready for a makeup test. For further information please contact me at +44000 or by email at martin.ray@xxxxx.edu. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Martin Ray
4449900555
Sample letter to professor for replacement of last assignment for improving grades
From
Martin Ray
Center for Professional Studies
xScholarship Univerity
To
Prof. Costa
xScholarship University
New York,
Request to replace the grade of the last assignment
Dear Prof Costa
I humbly ask if you can replace my last assignment that was submitted on April 20, 2021. I really did my best to get the job done, but I couldn’t understand why it didn’t end well.
I think if I get another chance, I’ll do better. I am very sorry for any inconvenience and please consider replacing my note with another makeup task.
For further information please contact me under martin.ray@xxxxx.edu. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Martin Ray
4449900555
How to Respond to Questions from Your Professor
Since your professor may be busy with classes and research, give him enough time to respond. Do not send emails or calls if you do not receive an answer immediately. Wait for at least one week. You don’t want to appear intrusive.
If he doesn’t call or email you before your next class, meet him at the end of the class to speak to him after the other students have left the room.
You could just say, “Professor, I emailed you about my grade last week. I know how busy you are and I wanted to make sure you saw it.”
At that moment, your professor will take the time to talk to you about the grade if time is available. If not, he will arrange a time with you to have further discussions. Remember to be patient. Either way, you have gotten his attention.
It can be tiring to wait and see how you can improve your grade, but with patience and a polite request, a professor will be willing to help.
FAQs on How to write an email to a professor about grades
Yes, you have to. It’s very professional to send it with the official school email. I do not advice you to use personal emails.
Ask for feedback on a paper or research work you’ve already turned in. What you need to do is to send an email to the professor and be polite. If the professor has office hours, you can visit those, or make an appointment.
Focus on the recipient who in this case is the Professor. Remember that your message to them should be focused on THEM. Sell your benefits. Make saying “no” impossible.
The best way to get a review or feedback from your manager is to set up a time with them when they know that’s the topic of the meeting. You can also send them an email, explaining that you want to make sure you are meeting expectations and looking for ways to improve your work performance. smart!
Please allow your professor a normal response time, (this varies in different settings). if after waiting for days and you haven’t gotten a response, you should be able to follow up with a second email to the professor.
Conclusion
Finally, as a college student, understanding how to communicate with your professor when you have reservations to make about your grades or any other thing will come in very handy. Writing to your professor to assist you to sort out issues surrounding your grades must be done skillfully and professionally if you want it to be taken seriously.
I hope we have been able to do justice to how to write an email to a professor about grades.
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