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Introduction
Email is the most common and important method of communication in professional settings, including college and university. An email is not the same as a text message. While emails can be short, they’re typically longer than text messages and come with different expectations around format, tone, writing style, and response time.
This guide will help you write respectful, effective emails to your professors, advisors and other professionals.
Note: This article is based on professional communication norms in the United States. If you're emailing someone in another country, their expectations might be different—so it's a good idea to research local customs or guidelines.
Email Top 10
- Start with a greeting. “Dear…” is the standard and is perfectly fine, but “Good Morning/Evening…,” “Greetings…”, or even “Hello…” work too.
- Use the recipient’s title and name and get it right. If you spell the recipient’s name wrong or address them improperly, you are starting off on the wrong foot.
- If the individual has told you how they would like to be addressed DO THAT. If it’s your instructor, check the syllabus.
- The proper way to address a college professor is “Professor [Lastname]” unless they have told you otherwise.
- If you are emailing someone else besides a professor, the simplest option is to address the individual using their first and last name. For example: “Dear Mark Goodstory…” (Read more about Honorifics, below)
- Include a short, clear subject line. For instructors, it is helpful to include the course name in the subject line. The information in your subject line may be repeated in the body of the email.
- Provide Context. State your name and your connection to the individual. This should be about 1 sentence, 2 at the most.
- Get to the point. After your context statement, immediately state the purpose of your message. Example: “I am writing to request an extension on the deadline for the Chapter 3 reflection.” Additional guidelines:
- Avoid unnecessary small-talk like “I hope this email finds you well.”
- If you have multiple points to make, or questions, include all of them. It is annoying to go back forth over email. However, organize your comments/questions into separate paragraphs of one to two sentences each, or make a bulleted list.
- If you have a specific request, make sure you ask for a response. If you don't ask for a response, don't expect one. Example: "could you please tell me what changes you would recommend on this paper?"
- Use Professional Writing
- Do not use slang or abbreviations (for example: do not use “u” instead of “you”, or add “lol” to the end of sentences).
- Use complete sentences, beginning with a capital letter and ending with punctuation (period, question mark, etc.).
- Avoid all caps. IT’S LIKE YELLING!
- Be polite. Use “please” and “thank you.” If you're going to miss class (or already missed class), do not ask "Did I miss anything important?" Tone can easily be misinterpreted in email. Read more below about Using AI Tools to review your emails for tone and more.
- Do not expect an immediate response, especially if you are emailing outside of normal working hours. For instructors, check their syllabus to see if they have a statement regarding email expectations (For example, they may say: “I will respond to emails within 48 hours”). If you haven't gotten a response in a while, it may be necessary to follow up. See "When to Follow Up," below.
- End with a closing signature. The classic closing is “Sincerely,” followed by your name. “Best,” “Warmly,” “Cheers,” “With Gratitude,” are other good options.
- Pause before you Send. How are you feeling? Angry, hurt, insulted, desperate? Probably not a good time to send that email. Also ask yourself Is This Email Necessary?, below.
Most professionals, including college professors, receive dozens of emails everyday. Your professors want you to communicate with them, but anything you can do to reduce unnecessary emails will be appreciated.
So before you hit send, ask yourself:
- Can I find this information myself?
- Read the assignment instructions. Then read them again.
- Check the syllabus. If your question is about a late submission, absences from class, or other class policies, the answer you seek is likely in the syllabus.
- Check other places in the Canvas course site, including past announcements.
- Ask a classmate.
- Google it! This is especially useful if you have a technical problem and encounter an error message. Just put the exact words of the error message into Google and you'll likely find advice.
- Can this question wait until I see the professor in person: in class, before/after class or office hours? In many cases, your instructor will prefer this.
- Will this email possibly make a bad situation worse? Remember that email is forever and words written in email cannot be taken back. When in doubt, don't send.
AI Chatbots like ChatGPT can help you write clearer, more professional emails. Paste the entire text of your email (including your greeting and salutation) and ask for help with wording, tone, or even proofreading before you hit send. Just make sure you are not inputting any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) into the chatbot, such as student ID numbers or phone numbers. And remember, you're still responsible for what you send, so read it over and make sure it sounds like you. Phrases like "I hope this email finds you well" are clear signs that you used AI to compose the message.
There are also purpose-built AI tools specifically made to assist you in tasks like this, including The Judge, an email tone checker from Goblin.tools.
Is “Mr. [Lastname]” (male) or “Ms. [Lastname]” (female) ok? Not for professors. The appropriate title for a college professor is “Professor [Lastname],” regardless of the individual’s terminal degree. Some professors ask to be addressed by their first name, or as “Dr. [Lastname]”, but if you are not sure, use “Professor." For other professionals, “Mr”. and “Ms.” are usually ok, but do not ever use “Mrs.” or “Miss” unless you know for sure that is the way the recipient wants to be addressed.
What if you don’t know the gender identity of the recipient? If you’re not sure, it is best practice to use the individual’s first and last name (Example: “Dear Mark Goodstory…”).
What about other titles like Senator [Lastname] or Reverend [Lastname]? Don’t worry too much. However, if possible, it never hurts to spend some time researching the person you’re writing to. Try to figure out the appropriate form of address for them, especially it’s a VIP such as an elected official or even a University president (in that case, it’s “President [Lastname]”!). For more information check out Robert Hickey’s On-Line Guide to Forms of Address, from the man who literally wrote the book on “names, titles, & forms of address.”
If a professor hasn't responded to your email in a reasonable amount of time, consult the syllabus to see if your professor has a response policy (e.g., "within 48 hours") and then send a polite follow-up email to check in. If there is no policy, 2 business days is usually appropriate.
Example: "Dear Professor [Lastname], I am just writing to check in on my question about the assignment deadline. Have you had a chance to think about it? Let me know if you need any additional information from me. Thank you!"
However, it may be more useful to do this follow-up in person or by phone. There is a chance that your original email was caught in a spam filter or bounced, and that may happen again with your follow-up email.
References:
Beilfuss, M., Bettes, S., & Peterson, a. K. (2020). Technical and Professional Writing Genres. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Libraries.
Gross, A., Hamlin, A., Merck, B., Rubio, C., Naas, J., Savage, M., & DeSilva, a. M. (2017). Technical Writing. Open Oregon Educational Resources.