Be Formal
When emailing a professor, especially for the first time, write in a more formal tone. The formal tone will be more respectful and more professional, leaving the professor with a good impression of you. Avoid words that you wouldn’t say in class or that you wouldn’t use in a professional setting. Remember this person is your professor, so be respectful and try to be on the more formal side when writing your email.
Use Proper Grammar
Definitely use proper grammar when writing to your professor. It’ll make your email easier to read and sound more professional as well. There are applications, such as Grammarly, that will double-check your grammar and fix sentence structure. It is perfect for correcting little mistakes you otherwise wouldn’t notice like commas or run-on sentences. This app is free and will make your email more readable in the long-run.
Double-Check Spelling
If there are too many spelling mistakes in your email, it may be hard to understand. Also, it can be slightly embarrassing to realize afterward that you misspelled a word, trust me. I’ve been there. Again, with sites like Grammarly and the spell-check application in Gmail, it is super easy to double check, and takes less than a minute. This simple step can fix any spelling error and make your email more professional.
Be Concise
Think of how many emails you receive on a day to day basis. Your professor has roughly seventy students that are trying to contact them on top of those daily messages as well. When writing your email, be concise. This way they can read it easily and will be more apt to reply faster. A tip would be to introduce yourself, wish them well and then get into the actual message. This way you’re being both cordial as well as getting straight to the point.
Use a Proper Sign-Off
The best way to sign off an email is to use either “Best regards” or “Best” and then your name. There are other variations that you can use, but these are professional and respectful ways to conclude your email. When signing-off in a professional email, the concluding words should be cordial as well as respectful of the relationship that you have with the receiver.