Email recommenders after acceptance

[chronicx]

I just got accepted into my top program...and I wanted to let my recommenders know that and thank them

Has anyone given such emails? What do you write

[PrincetonOrBust]

I did this in the past when I was first accepted to law school, and later when I was hired for clerkships. My thought is that if they know they have helped you and you are grateful, they'll likely stay on your side if you need recommendations for something else down the line. I kept it simple, even with the recommenders that I knew really, really well:

Prof. X,

I hope everything is going well. I just wanted to thank you again for taking the time to write a letter of recommendation for me last fall. You might be happy to know that, with your help, I was accepted to X, Y, and Z and I've decided to attend Z beginning this coming fall to study A. I owe you one! - Your former student.

[123student]

I sent thank-you cards to my recommenders with a terse summary of my best updates. It's something I would appreciate if I were in their position.

[MashaMashaMasha]

Absolutely - I will echo PrincetonOrBust on the form letter. Take that and run with it.

[TropicalCharlie]

As others have said, absolutely. I know my LoR writers professionally as well as personally, so my email was less informal than PrincetonOrBust's. These folks took the time out of their busy schedule to write your letters and are most appreciative to get acknowledgement in your success whether it is big or small. Also most are just curious about the outcome.

[far_to_go]

Definitely keep them updated and thank them for their work on your behalf. I'd say that, unless you are already in frequent contact, it's not necessary to let them know after every acceptance/rejection rolls in. But once you've made your decision, send a note telling them where you got accepted, where you're going, and thanking them profusely.

I think that hand-written notes are nice for thank-yous like this, since e-mail is so mundane.

[crazygirl2012]

One of my recommenders is now at a different university, so I no longer see her in person. I'm definitely going to send a thank you, but I can't decide if I should do an email or a card. Cards are really nice, but maybe I should send an email in case she wants to reply? I guess if she wants to contact me after receiving a card in the mail, she can email me. Thoughts?

[blankslate]

I say send a card. It's more sincere IMO since you took the time to get a card and mail it.

[ANDS!]

An email? Sheesh, how about a thumbs-up the next time you see them? Certainly a personal card, at a cost of 4 bucks, is worth the invaluable assistance they have given you in this process. For one of my LOR's I got them a book that I think they'll enjoy based on personal conversations we've had.

[emmm]

I think emails are fine -- they're pretty standard nowadays.

I also continue to stay in touch with all my recommenders -- something that would not be the case for one prof if I had not sent her regular updates during the application process and gotten very friendly emails back (up to that point, I'd found her a bit intimidating).

[splitends]

I went to an advice on applying to grad school panel in my department, and one of the professors there said that the worst thing about writing letters of rec is never knowing what ended up happening with the student after they applied. So definitely let them know your status one way or another!

I would second all the advice to go with a handwritten card-- I just think it seems more thoughtful, especially to an older audience. As for wanting them to be able to respond, presumably they have or can easily find your email address. More than once I've left a card in a prof's mailbox and got an email response a few hours later with "I got your card!...." Emailing a thank you is probably better than nothing, but a card is just a little above and beyond.

[crazygirl2012]

I'm going to send a card. Thanks for the advice!

[rmgerdes]

I sent my recommenders very personalized cards in January--they were amazing whether I got in or not (of course, they also went out their way to help with my SOP and CV as well).

When I got, I ran down the street to one recommenders home and we had coffee and hugs. I sent the others a breathless "oh my god I'm so excited I'm going to explode email." Of course, I'm close friends with one recommender (my neighbor/mentor/intellectual crush) and have close professional/friendly relationships with the others.

I think what you do depends a lot of your relationship with them, but you want to do something and you want it to be sincere. It should be noted though my recommenders were also my recommenders last year when I DIDN'T get in, so they really have gone above and beyond with their help, reassurance, and guidance.

But, on a related note, do you think it would be appropriate to buy a small gift as a thank you token? I'm very broke, but they have been outstanding. But here's the thing, I would want to get my close friend/mentor something a little more personal than the others. I saw a necklace that is quirky that she would love, but I was just going to get the others a mug or something from my school. They aren't all petty or anything, so I don't think they would hold it against me if they found out that they got less, but do you think it is in bad taste?

[crazygirl2012]

I sent my recommenders very personalized cards in January--they were amazing whether I got in or not (of course, they also went out their way to help with my SOP and CV as well).

When I got, I ran down the street to one recommenders home and we had coffee and hugs. I sent the others a breathless "oh my god I'm so excited I'm going to explode email." Of course, I'm close friends with one recommender (my neighbor/mentor/intellectual crush) and have close professional/friendly relationships with the others.

I think what you do depends a lot of your relationship with them, but you want to do something and you want it to be sincere. It should be noted though my recommenders were also my recommenders last year when I DIDN'T get in, so they really have gone above and beyond with their help, reassurance, and guidance.

But, on a related note, do you think it would be appropriate to buy a small gift as a thank you token? I'm very broke, but they have been outstanding. But here's the thing, I would want to get my close friend/mentor something a little more personal than the others. I saw a necklace that is quirky that she would love, but I was just going to get the others a mug or something from my school. They aren't all petty or anything, so I don't think they would hold it against me if they found out that they got less, but do you think it is in bad taste?

No, I don't think it is in bad taste at all. Both of those gifts sound like good ideas to me. Congratulations on getting in!

[NinjaMermaid]

I had known all my recommenders for at least 4 years, because of this I sent them short, hand written thank you cards. =)

[Jrock4real]

In my case, two of my recommenders were previous research advisors (one of whom became my thesis advisor). The third taught me for two semesters. By junior year, I had gotten to know them quite well. Senior year, I applied but didn't get in. They were all so encouraging and supportive. My thesis advisor took on the role of an advisor after graduation. Another recommender helped me in my job search. These professors went above and beyond and gave their time to help me out. Two of them wrote recommendations for my job applications.

I kept in touch with them, and made every effort to see them each time I visited my alma mater. In my second year of teaching, I applied again, sticking with the same set of recommenders. My thesis advisor guided me again through the process, lending invaluable assistance. I wrote them constant (not too many) updates with each acceptance/rejection, then a final email after I'd made my decision.

I am also thinking of small gifts which I will present when I see them in person in a couple months. I gave thank-you gifts to two of them after graduation, anyway. Besides my recommenders, other professors have also been there for me. And I did send a thank-you card to a chemistry prof updating her on my admissions decision (she also advised me through the process). A few weeks after mailing the card, I sent an email to which she replied within a few hours. So, I do agree that email is useful since it affords a means of prompt response. Cards are nice, but the recipient may not be able to respond, especially if they do not have your current email.

Ultimately, it depends on the relationship. There are 3 or 4 professors that I would like to keep in touch with on a longterm basis, and I will do this through a combination of emails, letters and personal visits. Thank-you cards work great if you probably will not keep in close future contact with the recipient. And, no, while it is nice, I do not think buying and mailing a card is any indication of one's sincerity. An email could be just as heartfelt. The relationship is what really counts.

[alicejcw]

I waited until I had made my decision to send cards, and I got little presents for my letter writers while I was at the open house for my future program. I got them fancy tea from a little local tea shop and wrote them personal notes thanking them for everything they've done for me. They all emailed me to thank me for the gift, so I think they definitely appreciated that I showed my appreciation!

[rockhopper]

I got them coffee mugs as thank you gifts from the school I'm going to- I got the idea off another thread on GradCafe!

[Nerd_For_Life]

I baked cookies for my referees I still live in the same city as them so I dropped them off, said thank you, and chatted with them a bit about future plans. Also got 2 signed on for writing future references if need be (eg. into a PhD program after my MA is done)

[OregonGal]

I sent off cards to my LOR writers, and wrote a nice note in it saying thank you and promising to keep them updated--with the professor, I know as the department chair she really likes to hear about what her former students are doing so she can highlight them within the department for current students or to build the still-nascent alumni community.

[Gneiss1]

I emailed mine before I even told my family haha. I am fairly close with my recommenders though and they knew I was waiting to hear back and had been checking in with me to find out if I had heard anything throughout the semester. I also have written them each a nice handwritten thank-you and got them each a $25 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. I figured it was the least I could do for all they have done to help and prepare me. I'm sure their letters were at least a part of why I got into my top choice.

[Galahad]

I wrote to mine (email as I already did really nice cards over the holidays and included them) and personally thanked them for the letters as well as all the guidance they gave me in my undergrad career. Turns out they still want to keep in touch and as one of them did the same MA program I'm going to, he gave me class recommendations and told me to let him know if I have any sorts of questions at all. *super happy*

[rose1]

I mailed nice thank you cards right after my recommenders sent in their letters. When i heard back from schools, i e-mailed to let them know about my acceptances, and then sent a short e-mail update when I finally picked a school. I will probably send them postcards from the school once I move in the fall.

[SapphireSeaLion]

Do you think it'd be odd to personally deliver a card? All of my recommenders are fairly close so I'd like to thank them some way.

[rose1]

There's nothing odd about hand-delivering a card. I think giving presents is kind of awkward because it seems almost like a bribe, but there's nothing wrong with cards and I think personally delivering them would be a nice touch.