bardolatry

I'm a fan of The Craft of Research. It was required reading for my MA, and I saw it was on the recommendation list for graduate students at the university I'm at now. https://www.amazon.com/Research-Chicago-Writing-Editing-Publishing/dp/022623973X.

I think making sure to send a thank-you is more important than whether it comes by email or card, so I don't know that there's a wrong choice here. Just make sure that your thank-you is not a form letter (specific details from your conversation helps with this) and that your gratitude and sincerity are clear. Handwritten notes take time, which conveys sincerity. However, if you're not already accepted to this program, then the time it takes to receive a mailed thank-you may make it seem like you forgot to do it, which may have an impact on decisions.

I'm curious whether anyone else applied to IU's Informatics PhD. If so, what track(s) are you interested in?

I've been really anxious about this step in particular, and I'm now worried I've put it off too late. For a traditional email of interest, how long before the application deadline would you say is too late?