First of all, the subject of the email should be as short as possible, but it is best not to leave it blank. Email without a theme will not be ignored, but the first impression is not very good, at least it shows that you have not paid enough attention to it. If there is an emergency, it is suggested to use phrases such as emergency help, which are concise but conspicuous.
In terms of address, we must first determine whether there is a contact name on the contact information on the school website. If yes, it is strongly recommended to directly use the contact name instead of the general "Dear Sir or Madam" (such as "Dear Mr. Babbrook"). Of course, if the school does not provide it, it is best to use the above-mentioned "dear sir or madam" or "to anyone who may be involved" This is another trick. Generally, university workers and faculty members have their own mailboxes, most of which are related to their surnames, such as surnames and first names. Therefore, when you see that an email is barbrookr@university.ac.uk, it is probably the email address of a person named Barbrook, whose initials are R. This method is more suitable for the purpose of double confirmation, that is, if you are not sure whether this email address is correct, you can use this logic to infer. It is not applicable to friends who contact by email for the first time because of the danger. If you make a mistake, you will laugh.
Next is the text, or to be concise. Because people in the admissions office have to read a lot of such letters every day, which are too long and cumbersome to make people feel uncomfortable instinctively. A clear and concise letter will unconsciously let the other party reveal more and more information in the process of answering.
The point is clear and coherent logic. This is not easy to do. Because we usually only need to contact the school when there is a "situation", and often this situation makes us very anxious and can't wait to find out everything at once. But the more you think about it, the easier it is to make things more confusing.
Before writing an email, you should put things in your mind, and it is best to jump out and look at the problem from a bystander's point of view. Think about the cause and effect. Why is there a problem? What caused it? Be sure to explain the background. If you ask it as a question, it will be very confusing. But don't go to the other extreme: many people talk about many things in a hurry and end up without asking anything. In this way, the person in charge of the school will be at a loss and the quality of the advice given will be greatly reduced. So remember, after stating things clearly, list the questions clearly and let others answer them one by one, and the purpose of the email can be achieved.
When listing problems, it is best not to put everything on the table at once. A dozen questions frightened each other at once. The best strategy is to start with the most urgent questions, and it is best not to exceed three questions in an email. The induction of problems should be organized, not repeated, and remember to be specific and not too general. The answer thus obtained is the most effective.
Generally, British universities reply to emails very quickly, and some surveys show that emerging universities are particularly prominent in this respect (the last paper was about the role of British university websites in China students' choice of schools, so I read many such academic journals and investigated the contents of some school websites, so there is a certain basis for saying this, hehe). After receiving the reply, whether it is useful or not, you'd better write back to express your gratitude.
In addition, if it is not clear before, we can continue to discuss it in depth. It's best to reply directly by clicking the "reply" button, so that the original text will be quoted below to let the other party know that you have received the reply. More importantly, because the school has to deal with a large number of such letters every day, quoting the following original text can help him "recall" your case. Of course, if you get what you want the first time, don't just ignore it. We should always keep in mind the traditional virtues of our "state of etiquette" and reply to others to show our gratitude!
Remember to write "Best regards" in the last few lines. Don't forget to add a few words of "Happy New Year" or "Happy weekend" when you meet people on holiday or weekend, which will make people feel happy!
Finally, if the previous address is directed at someone (such as Mr. Babbrook), use "yours sincerely"; If it's just "Dear Sir or Madam", use "Yours faithfully". Of course, these are all very formal writing methods. Nowadays, the network language is more and more casual, and the problem of misuse is not big.