Advisor / Mentor Thank-Yous

[artist_lily]

Hi all,

As the application process winds downs, how are all of you going about thanking your advisors and mentors for their help during this difficult year? I handwrote thank-you notes to all of mine after they had submitted their LORs and have just recently followed up with them via e-mail regarding where I'll be going, but I'm unsure as to whether a second "hard-copy" thank-you note is in order (likely) or whether giving them a small token of appreciation (chocolates or something similar) would be appropriate. (I've read on other forums that gifts for LOR writers are generally discouraged; as it's now after the fact, however -- I'll likely never be needing their endorsement again -- and as I have fairly close relationships with 2/3 of mine, I'm wondering if this situation is any different.)

Any suggestions or tips? What are others doing? I feel so hesitant to let the whole thing go by without any further acknowledgement of all they've done for me, but at the same time, don't want to appear too over-the-top!

Thoughts would be very much appreciated!

[Malumat]

I just wrote nice cards. I think that's good enough. Another nice thing, if you have this sort of relationship with them, would be to buy them dinner or even just a coffee.

Hi all,

As the application process winds downs, how are all of you going about thanking your advisors and mentors for their help during this difficult year? I handwrote thank-you notes to all of mine after they had submitted their LORs and have just recently followed up with them via e-mail regarding where I'll be going, but I'm unsure as to whether a second "hard-copy" thank-you note is in order (likely) or whether giving them a small token of appreciation (chocolates or something similar) would be appropriate. (I've read on other forums that gifts for LOR writers are generally discouraged; as it's now after the fact, however -- I'll likely never be needing their endorsement again -- and as I have fairly close relationships with 2/3 of mine, I'm wondering if this situation is any different.)

Any suggestions or tips? What are others doing? I feel so hesitant to let the whole thing go by without any further acknowledgement of all they've done for me, but at the same time, don't want to appear too over-the-top!

Thoughts would be very much appreciated!

[muffinlit]

Last year, I wrote a thank you card and gave them a little magnetic puppet online from the unemployed philosophers guild-- they have a ton of cute theorists and literary figures. They are $5 each, but it's a nice thoughtful gesture. Plus they get really excited about them and proudly display them somewhere in their office.

[diehtc0ke]

Perhaps it's my stereotypical jaded New Yorker rearing its ugly head but I never even thought about buying my letter writers or mentors a gift of any sort. I sent several e-mails updating them on the statuses of my various applications and each ended with something along the lines of "Thank you again for all the help you've given these past few months." I also happen to: 1) still live by my undergraduate institution (I'm on my year off) so I've visited them all at least once to say my thank yous in person; and 2) live around the corner from my mentor so we've gone out for coffee a couple of times.

edited for unintended smiley

Edited April 17, 2010 by diehtc0ke

[intextrovert]

I sent all of my letter-writers kings cakes from my favorite Cajun bakery right before Mardi Gras (I live in Louisiana), with thank-you notes on them. But I just like giving people king cakes, and did it because I wanted to, not because I felt obligated. A gift is really not necessary - hand-written thank-yous are probably already more that what most people do. I also have given them periodic email updates throughout the process, and sent one last update yesterday about my final decision. If you've already sent hand-written notes, it's probably overkill to do it again or send a gift as well!

[americana]

I sent some fruit baskets and things like that. It was really the least I could do. If it weren't for my letter-writers and their advice, I'd be absolutely nowhere. And don't forget that we're all going to be in that same position a few years down the road, with student after student coming up and asking for LoRs, while invariably being ungrateful for the effort that goes into them.