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Read, plan, write, check
Every email prompt hands you the 3 things it's grading, in a bulleted list. Miss one and you leave points on the table — here's how to hit all 3, on time.
Where the 3 come from
Printed right under the prompt, as "Your email should" + 3 bullets. Not hidden — just easy to skim past.
Real prompt — recommendation letter, Dr. Bianchi
✓ Remind the professor of your coursework together
✓ Clearly state what you're asking for and the deadline
✓ Offer to provide any materials she might need, such as your CV
1 sentence per bullet
Read the 3 bullets once, and mentally assign one sentence to each — before writing a word of the email.
The plan
Bullet 1 → sentence 1 (coursework)
Bullet 2 → sentence 2 (request + deadline)
Bullet 3 → sentence 3 (offer materials)
Planned in under a minute — now you just fill it in.
The 7-minute budget
~1 min plan, ~5 min write, ~1 min reread. Don't let one requirement eat the whole budget.
Real prompt — family emergency, Dr. Whitmore
"Briefly explain the emergency in full detail without oversharing personal details."
The task itself is telling you: don't over-explain this one — leave room for the other 2.
The final check
Before submitting, tick off each bullet against a specific sentence you actually wrote.
Bianchi email — checked off
✓ "I really enjoyed your Comparative Literature and Modern Poetry courses last year."
✓ "Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation? The deadline is November 15th."
✓ "I'm happy to send over my CV or any other materials that would help."
DEB
4 things to know about the 7-minute email
Audio: DEB (ElevenLabs)