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Is this appropriate to do?

My situation: Upper-level class with a midterm and final paper. Midterm paper was an A and looking like final paper will put me solidly in the A range. The curve is very generous at my school and it seems like based on the fairly large size of this class there may even be room for two A+ grades. I did not participate much in class but when I did it was quality, thoughtful contributions.

My problem is I've never really talked to the professor at length one-on-one. Would it be appropriate to send my prof an email basically saying "hey I loved the class and worked really hard on both papers, I hope you might consider me for the A+ grade as it will really help my GPA" or something to that effect.

Anyone have experience with a similar situation?

No, this isn’t appropriate to do. You don’t get a better grade by asking for it, and whether it would help your GPA is irrelevant (both because that’s a terrible basis for a grade, and because presumably an A+ is going to help pretty much everyone’s GPA). The prof will consider you for an A+ if they think you were the top performer in the class.

I hope this is a troll post.

OP’s situation is an obvious no and it’s ridiculous they would consider asking, but I and another friend (in a different class) each got a best in class award without getting a corresponding A+, which are discretionary at my school, and even we didn’t ask. There’s a slim chance the prof wasn’t aware of the option to give it which I think is the only way a question about it would make a difference, but it’s not worth the risk of looking like (/being) a greedy grade grubber and when, at the end of the day, an A+ over an A is not likely to move the needle on anything material anyway

Not only is this bad from like a how to win friends and influence people perspective insofar as a teacher is not going to give you an A+ because you asked. It also might be a violation of your handbook to explicitly discuss grades with a teacher before it is inputted.

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue May 09, 2023 8:58 pm

No, this isn’t appropriate to do. You don’t get a better grade by asking for it, and whether it would help your GPA is irrelevant (both because that’s a terrible basis for a grade, and because presumably an A+ is going to help pretty much everyone’s GPA). The prof will consider you for an A+ if they think you were the top performer in the class.

I hope this is a troll post.

At midterms I objectively was the top performer in the class.

1406schooltransfer wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:42 pm

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue May 09, 2023 8:58 pm

No, this isn’t appropriate to do. You don’t get a better grade by asking for it, and whether it would help your GPA is irrelevant (both because that’s a terrible basis for a grade, and because presumably an A+ is going to help pretty much everyone’s GPA). The prof will consider you for an A+ if they think you were the top performer in the class.

I hope this is a troll post.

At midterms I objectively was the top performer in the class.

Guess what? Grades can change by finals!

But even if they don’t, you don’t ask a prof for a specific grade. That’s not how grades are determined.