What's a good way to start an email to some one you've never met?

Mr (or Mrs) ________ (professor’s name)

Hey there sexy
To (teacher’s name)

Just use their name. When I email my professors I’ve never met I usually just start off with Hello! I don’t see a problem with that. It’s not a formal letter :)

I don’t know exactly what the atmosphere is like at your school, but here they don’t mind small informalities. Starting with just a name would be acceptable. For an email, you might also leave out the opening line completely and dive right into the subject. Or just go with Dear, I guess the reason it feels awkward is because it’s more formal, which emails usually aren’t.

“Dear XXX” is the way to go. Be a professional about it.

BRIEFLY explain your intent and your situation. Don’t mince any words, don’t kiss up, just explain you are interested in the class. Maybe he lets you in, maybe he doesn’t.

Show up for his next class either way. It’s harder to say no to someone in person.

Lastly, if the person is a Professor and not an instructor, refer to him as doctor

“Ms./Mr. ________,” would work, but ‘Dear is perfectly fine. It may seem weird when you think about it, but that’s such a common beginning that it’s perfectly acceptable.

Final verdict:

Dear Ms./Mr. ________:

Professor LastName:

I disagree with @The_Compassionate_Heretic on one little point:
In my experience, I have found that most professors in non-medical dont go by “doctor”, they prefer “Professor”

“Dear Professor so-and-so” should be formal enough, and don’t worry about it being awkward, professors are busy people and probably won’t even notice how you begin the letter.

Hello or Dear blahdeeblah < enter their name not blahdeeblah . You could say oi you the person reading this letter , not not you the one in front . !!!

greetings, earthling. i come in peace.

Hi.

“Sup bro?”
is the best way to start.

Greetings, I am pleased to announce that your email address has won the UK Lottery…please acknowledge this email in order to obtain your prize

Oh wait, I’ve had too many of those in my junk email address and thought that’s how you’re supposed to address somebody.

I’d just go with Dear Professor XYZ,

“Professor” is an earned title and does not apply to everyone who teaches a college class. “Mr.” or “Ms.” should suffice.

(My father, a Ph.D. and a full professor, always preferred to be addressed as Mister.)

Here is my own message to the instructor under those same circumstances three years ago. I have edited out the specifics.

————

Ms. B~,

Your ~~ course is the reason why I registered at ~~ College beginning this term. I attempted to enroll about a week after registration opened for new students and was disappointed to find that this class was already marked “closed.” Is there a possibility of being waitlisted in case of a dropout, or even of adding one student?

[Here I described myself briefly, said why I wanted to take the class, and added that it was highly recommended to me.]

If there is any way of gaining admission to this class, please tell me what I should do.

Thank you,
Jeruba ~~

————

She wrote back right away and told me how to follow up with her. I ended up getting in during the first week of classes.

@Jeruba‘s letter sounds perfect.

If the person holds the title of Professor you usually want to refer to them that way. If you aren’t sure ask the department’s receptionist before you send your letter.

@hannahsugs You’d wish. I once started an email with plain “Hello,” and I received a reply saying “Hello who? Is this email directed to me?” (even though his name was in the “To:” field of the email). So you do want to consider the opening.

“I have your daughter, now listen up…”

I think not using “Dear” in e-mails is an American thing.
I was brought up that this was the standard mode of address in get a lot of “Dear…” from people in Europe. However, when I went to the States I noticed people just didn’t use it in e-mails.