A general template for asking for a better grade:
Dear _____,
Thanks for your feedback on my paper. I am going over the comments you made, and I understand most of them, but may I meet with you briefly to clarify what I should do about x,y,z? My goal is to improve my writing for future assignments.
Thanks again!
_____
Why is this an effective strategy?
Key Components:
Contains a greeting. This signals that you respect the recipient of the letter. Sending letters that begin with “Hey” or simply begin with your request signal disrespect. Hint: It doesn’t matter if you respect the person are not—signaling respect is more likely to get you what you want.
Expresses appreciation. This signals that you understand grading is difficult and time-consuming work. It is one of the least favorite aspects of teaching for many professors and GEs.
Asks for clarification in order to improve you work. This signals that your main interest is to improve your work, not to have them go through the laborious process they already went through because you don’t like the grade you have. Graduate Assistants and professors genuinely want to feel useful. Helping someone improve feels useful; regrading work feels demeaning.
Addresses specific areas you are still confused about. This signals that you paid close attention to the comments and are working to understand how to put them into practice.
Contains a closing. This signals that you take your communication with this person seriously. Leaving your email without a closing is like hanging up on a person without saying goodbye. It can be entertaining in a movie but seldom works in personal relationships.
Outcomes:
Having the conversation will allow the Graduate Assistant or professor to take a second look at your paper—it is possible that your arguments are buried in the paper or become clearer as you have a chance to discuss it.
You might get an opportunity to re-write a section.
You might find, despite the fact that your grade remains the same, that you get an opportunity to show improvement on the next assignment. Graduate Assistants and professors love to see improvement.
To Avoid:
Asking for a grade change.
Unless the professor or Graduate Assistant clearly made an error in math or transcribing the grade to the grade book, you are likely to receive a defensive response.
Talking about how you usually receive a certain type of grade, or that you are an A-student.
This can be interpreted as a passive-aggressive statement. Everyone else graded you better, so there must be something wrong with the way the Graduate Assistant or professor is grading you.
This can signal entitlement. Avoiding giving off this impression will serve you now and in the long run.
Talking about how badly receiving a grade makes you feel.
If you can avoid it, it you may get better outcomes. It can signal that you believe the responsibility for your feelings is the Graduate Assistant’s or your professor’s.
Sending your initial email to someone other than the grader.
If you send a letter to the professor, they are likely to forward your concerns to the Graduate Assistant who graded your work. This is going to get you noticed, but it could create the impression that you feel entitled along the lines of, “I want to speak to the manager” or “Do you know who I am?”
Getting noticed and leveling up:
A surefire strategy to get noticed as a serious student is to revise your paper based on the comments you received regardless of a grade. There is nothing like responding to feedback by implementing changes to put you on a Graduate Assistant or Professor’s radar. Make the changes, send your new paper in, let them know you are not requesting a grade change but want to know how the revisions you made reflect your understanding.
Outcomes:
This allows you to practice what the Graduate Assistant or professor is trying to teach you
This allows your Graduate Assistant or Professor to feel as though their time making comments on your work was well spent.
This gives both you and your Graduate Assistant or professor the chance to review the changes you made and to look for areas where you can continue to grow or improve your work.