Htydjtk

I recently took an exam in my masters program where I missed just enough points to change my grade from A+ to A. I intend on applying to some extremely competitive PhD programs, otherwise I would not be concerned with this grade difference. Furthermore, I am essentially depending on a letter of recommendation from the professor of this course.

After having already looked at the exam with my professor, and hearing him explain the grade justification, I believe I did not yet make a well thought-out argument as to why I should have been given certain points.

My question is: should I bother emailing this professor with my legitimate argument, or simply let it go? I will probably get a rec letter from him either way, and while I want an A+ and genuinely think my work on the exam deserved it, I don't want to annoy my professor and make his opinion of me depreciate.

Let it go.

You discussed this before, he made his arguments and it is unlikely that he will change his mind. It isn't only up to you to make a good argument for the points, but the professor himself will have judged the points again when you discussed them and will now be convinced that the points are fair.

Begging even more for the points will probably not get you any more points, but may annoy the professor, e.g, because you already discussed it and you are still not satisfied after he told you the final outcome. He has neither the time to discuss this again and again, nor he will consider that he was wrong the first two times (the first assignment, then your previous discussion).

Recommendation letters are more important than grades.

If your professor knows you well and has a truly positive opinion of you, this will come out in the recommendation letter. The best thing you can do for yourself cultivate a real relationship with the professor (e.g. by visiting office hours, talking about ideas beyond the syllabus of your class etc). If you can talk about your goals for doing original research, so much the better.

As an aside, perfect grades aren't a very strong signal for who will be a good PhD researcher, so I really wouldn't worry about the grades very much anyway. A person who is curious and pushes themselves beyond their comfort zone -- even at the risk of getting some bad grades -- is a much better PhD admit than someone who has always gotten perfect grades.

I agree with allo.

Some further thoughts:

It's frustrating when you haven't even gotten the chance to make your points, and a good university should develop protocols and procedures to make sure this is possible. In practice, few do; most are more interested in making the process of disputing a grade as hard as humanly possible, and you're forced to put up with the stubbornness, small-mindedness and stupidity of human nature, essentially by design. And, though most professors are far from stupid, they can be every bit as stubborn and small-minded as anyone. Let it go. As buffy said, the recommendation letter is a lot more valuable than the grade, and even if the way you were graded was unfair, it's better to be strategic and maximize your chances of getting the recommendation letter. And, please, if you're ever in a situation where you can influence the decision that university policies take, please please please influence them in the direction they need to go. Students shouldn't be punished just for making an appeal to fairness and offering some arguments in favor of their work, or for rebutting a weak rebuttal to their arguments. Nothing about this is okay.