What to do after acceptance to a summer program?

[InquilineKea]

So I just got accepted to a summer program and I'm wondering if I should send thank-you notes to the professors who wrote me LORs for it. I'm also wondering when I should notify them that I got accepted (I'm not extremely close to some of them, since it would sound sort of abrupt). I'm quite gracious, but I feel awkward notifying them of the decision right now (I do intend to do it after school ends in 2 weeks and when I can finally do research with them)

The one thing is that a thank-you note might be premature because I'll continue to work with them, and will probably ask for more LORs from them for the application season next year.

Edited May 28, 2011 by InquilineKea

[far_to_go]

It doesn't seem premature to me to let them know that you were accepted to the summer program and to thank them for the LORs; in fact, if you're going to be asking for more LORs in the future, it seems like a good idea to butter them up a bit with a nice thank-you. If a handwritten note seems over-the-top to you, I'd at least recommend a graciously worded e-mail.

[InquilineKea]

Oh okay - what does a thank-you email look like?

Also, is it appropriate to send thank-you notes/emails after the decision or before the decision? When do most people send these notes? If they get rejected by where they're applying, do they still notify their professor of the rejection?

Edited May 28, 2011 by InquilineKea

[far_to_go]

I'd wait til after the decision to send the thank-you, unless there's a long lag-time. Then the note could look something like this:

Dear Prof ____________,

I want to thank you for writing me a letter of recommendation for _______. I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted (or, Unfortunately, I was not accepted to the program, but (here you say what you will be doing with your summer instead, something that advances your scholarship)). I am grateful for your mentorship and support.

Sincerely,

InquilineKea

It doesn't have to be long and flowery, but just enough to let him/her know what happened with the application and that you're grateful.

[InquilineKea]

Oh okay thanks very much! Hmm, something tells me that there's a high chance they won't reply to it. And I know - it's a fact of life, and it's not a bad thing. But the possibility scares me. =/