How to email a prof to ask for something

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Student life almost never goes as planned. Sometimes, you’ll need to ask your professors for help, either for extensions, meetings, or extra explanation. A closely guarded secret is that professors will generally give any extension that you request, or allow you to break any rules that they’ve established, as long as you ask nicely and professionally. Here are some tips to help you get what you want.

First, make sure that your email looks professional:

• Use your university email account. Your professors will be more likely to open your emails if they recognize the account. Additionally, your email will be less likely to land in the spam filter.


• Make sure that your email looks professional. Use paragraph breaks to help your professors to read through the message. Use proper spellings – no “webspeak,” emoticons or abbreviations. They don’t look serious, and your professors might not understand them.


• Watch your font and colour-scheme. Make sure that you use the default font of your email server. Professors appreciate professional and easy to read correspondence, and are never impressed by wacky visuals.

Then treat your email like a business letter:

• Write a descriptive subject line. Your professors will be more likely to give you what you want if they feel that you’re not trying to waste their time. Start at the beginning, at the subject line, and get to the point right away.


• Start by stating who you are. Don’t expect your professor to know you, especially by your email address, and don’t ask your professor to remember in which class you’re registered. Most professors teach several classes, and going through each roster to find out what a petitioner is asking for is frustrating. So explain who you are: write your full name, student number, course code and section.


• Frontload by getting to the point right away. Still in your first paragraph, explain the purpose of your email. Professors tend to get dozens of emails every day, and you’ll save them time by getting to the point immediately (but politely).


• Explain context. In your second paragraph, you can explain the context. Explain why you need that extension, for example. Include as many details as you think are appropriate, but avoid any extra embellishment. You’ll find that stretching the truth is rarely necessary.


• Elaborate all relevant details. In your third paragraph, give precise details about what you need, exactly. If you’re asking for an extension, make sure to make clear when you’ll be able to hand in the assignment. If you’d like a meeting outside of office hours, give several times that you’ll be available, and explain, in detail, what you’d like to clarify, or what you’d like to discuss. Don’t make your professors have to email you back for clarification. The extra work never puts them in a generous mood.


• Close graciously, with thanks. Your final paragraph should be a short one. Thank your professor for his or her time.


• Spellcheck and grammar check. Your primary job right now is to be a student, so keep your email professional. Check your spelling and grammar. You can do this easily by copying and pasting your email into a word document, or by finding free grammar software such as Grammarly.

You’ll find that if you’re polite, professional and truthful, professors will go out of their way to help you out. Don’t forget that you have more sources of help than just your professors.