There are several reasons you may need to email a professor or other instructor at a college or university you are considering applying to. The most common reason potential applicants need to email a professor is to request a class visit. Other reasons include having a question about a department, desiring more information about an academic program, or following up after meeting them during a visit, event, or through another connection.
Of course, the first step is to find their contact information. Do not try to contact a professor over social media. This includes Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other social media platform. Even if you can find them on Twitter, and even if you have already tried to contact them over email, you absolutely cannot resort to social media. Yes, we are probably over-emphasizing this, but we need to make sure that it is clear. We’ve heard many students say that they think it would be a smart ‘round-about’ to use social media as an avenue for making contact. It is not clever, and it is not ok.
What is ok is finding a professional email address. Most colleges and universities list contact email addresses in their staff directories. These can be found on department pages or in a central database. It may take thirty minutes to find a professor’s email address, but it can be found.
Once you have their email address, what comes next?
If you have multiple email addresses, such as a school and a personal email address, you need to decide which email address to send your message from. If you have a school email address, you should send the email from that address. Using a school email address gives your email credibility. When you use a school email, it’s more likely that you are who you claim to be. This makes it less likely that the professor will disregard your email as spam or a nuisance.
If you do not have a school email address, you need to use an email address that is simple and not a novelty. BestSkierEver@gmail.com is not an ok email address to use when contacting a professor.
Now that you have your email sorted, you need to write the email. Before you start, remember that professors are fancy teachers, and they need to be treated as such. You may call your teachers at school Mr. or Mrs., or you may call them by their first names, neither will work here. You do not know them, and you do not have grounds for being overly familiar.
If you met the professor you are contacting in a context where they were using their first name, you should still use the Professor title. It is always better to be formal. If they want you to call them by their first name, they will tell you directly in their response.
Be very considerate, remember that you do not have a right to their time, and address them as the fancy teachers they are: Professors.
On paper, this should look like:
Dear Professor X,
Use this format even if you aren’t sure that their official title is ‘Professor.’ They may be an Adjunct Professor or an Associate Professor, but you should still start with ‘Professor’ as their title.
After the salutation, you need to introduce or reintroduce yourself. Give your name, grade, where you are from, and what school you go to. Then write one sentence explaining why you are contacting them. Perhaps it is because you want to major in their department or have a friend who greatly enjoyed one of their classes.
The following section is the most finicking — the request. Whether you are asking for more information or trying to schedule a class visit, you need to make a clear, concise, and polite request.
Finally, you need to thank them for their time and consideration and sign off respectfully with a closing salutation such as “Best,” or “Sincerely.” All-in-all, your email should be no more than two short paragraphs.
As you read through your email and check for spelling and grammar errors (we suggest using Grammarly), make sure that it is kind and polite. Remember that you may have to engage with the professor if you attend the college, so do not do or say anything that you would be embarrassed by.
If you want an extra set of eyes on all parts of the application process, from Professor emails to supplement editing, send us an email. We’re experts in streamlining the college process.