What did you do for your Letter Writers?

[Cottagecheeseman]

Okay, so for a few seconds let's not think about admissions and instead think about something else. What did you guys do for your letters writers? They took a lot of work (especially for you people who were rich enough to apply to 20+ programs) to write them and upload them and whatnot, so what did you do/plan to do in response? I have no idea what is acceptable but I want to do something to show my appreciation to them!

[philosophe]

I dropped thank you notes off in the department (because I'm local), and I got them giftcards... IE one of my letter writers loved peat's coffee, and another one likes ethiopian food. My advisor has a fellowship in Germany -- he was the hardest!  He's there in Berlin for two years, so I thought he'd be missing american food by now. I shipped him vermont maple syrup, texas bbq, peanut butter and a few other small things. 

 

Anyway, it's just good to say thanks for their time. 

[objectivityofcontradiction]

I have thought about this.. but I am not sure what is appropriate. Given that my MA supervisor and I are quite close, and more friends now than anything since I am no longer a student of his, I figured I might send him along a non-philosophy book that I think he'd dig. For another, since we live fairly close, I may visit and offer to take him out for a pint. But that is the extent of what I will do, and I am more leaning towards it not being necessary to do anything. 

[philosophe]

Let's be real. You have two options: 1) Booze. 2) Everything else. 

[peachypie]

I think I'm going to give each a nice box of chocolates and a little thank you note. 

[bmarcus]

I already promised to take them to lunch when I asked them to be referees, which I am due to follow up on now.

[shelbyelisha]

My letter writers and I are quite close (I went to a really small school with a small program and I'm still local).  We go out to dinner as a department about once a month, and I plan on paying their bill.

[philosophe]

My letter writers and I are quite close (I went to a really small school with a small program and I'm still local).  We go out to dinner as a department about once a month, and I plan on paying their bill.

 

That sounds nice! I wish I had a department like that. 

[wandajune]

I was planning on a card or something in a couple months, thanking them and indicating where I've decided to attend. (Being optimistic about getting in somewhere.) I'm considering a gift card or something else additionally, but I think they understand how much money I've just spent and may even be uncomfortable if I spend money on them at this point. 

[bar_scene_gambler]

One of my letter writers is an aesthete and notorious wino, so I'll probably get him a decent bottle of wine. The other collects pens, so I figured a cool pen would be great for him (suggestions would be awesome if anyone has any). I'm not sure what to do for my other two writers. I've known them for years now, but I've never noticed any particular quirks of their which I might be able to exploit. Thoughts?

[bmarcus]

Of course, the sardonic answer is: It depends on which schools they were able to get you into!!!

[philosophe]

One of my letter writers is an aesthete and notorious wino, so I'll probably get him a decent bottle of wine. The other collects pens, so I figured a cool pen would be great for him (suggestions would be awesome if anyone has any). I'm not sure what to do for my other two writers. I've known them for years now, but I've never noticed any particular quirks of their which I might be able to exploit. Thoughts?

 

I asked my department administrator for advice. Not sure about your school, but at mine she sits there day in and day out dealing with these crazy profs, and she knows them inside and out. I'd start there. 

[bar_scene_gambler]

I asked my department administrator for advice. Not sure about your school, but at mine she sits there day in and day out dealing with these crazy profs, and she knows them inside and out. I'd start there. 

That's pretty solid advice actually. Thanks for the suggestion

[philosophe]

That's pretty solid advice actually. Thanks for the suggestion

 

You're very welcome! Hope it churns out something good for you

[Hopephily]

I think I'm going to give each a nice box of chocolates and a little thank you note. 

 

As a metaphor for life?  

[Table]

In the comments here Schwitzgebel talks about thanking your letter-writers:

 

I think the best thanks is to keep in touch with your letter-writers. Let them know which schools accept you and (though it may seem embarrassing) which schools don't -- and ultimately where you end up going.

I myself have always felt a little embarrassed by, and not sure I could accept, large gifts. A group of students once gave me a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card. I didn't want to refuse, but also it didn't seem entirely appropriate. My compromise was to accept the card but also to inform them that I was simultaneously donating $100 to the UC Riverside Philosophy Club.

A small token, like the fancy chocolate bar you mention, doesn't seem inappropriate to me, exactly, though my reaction is ambivalent. I appreciate the gesture, but I also don't want to take anything of even small financial value from students. I'm similarly ambivalent about "thank you" cards. I appreciate the thought, but it doesn't seem necessary and a little bit corny.

One disappointing part of a teacher's career is this: We foster (or like to think we foster!) excellent students, we see them off, then never hear from them again. Every year there are a couple of students I'll never forget. Years later, I wonder where they'd ended up.

How about this, then, as the best thanks: Write a thank you note five years later. A much delayed thanks, but very meaningful!

 

There's also a Leiter thread about it, where the consensus seems to favor notes. I think I'll probably just do that.

I was thinking I might give them small plants because I grow a lot of cuttings (and it's easy enough to throw a plant away if you don't want it). Unfortunately I had a rough gnat infestation, and I think gnats are probably a bad way to say thanks. 

 

BSG, what kind of pens does he collect?

Edited January 28, 2014 by Table

[MattDest]

I bought each a box of chocolates from a nearby store and wrote a hand-written thank you note. I felt I owed them a significant debt based on how much work they did for me. 

[ianfaircloud]

I asked my department administrator for advice. Not sure about your school, but at mine she sits there day in and day out dealing with these crazy profs, and she knows them inside and out. I'd start there. 

 

This is the best advice I've heard.  Do we have the same department administrator??  

 

I thought about this awhile, and I've decided to stick with simple thank-you notes.  As a TA, I've received gifts.  It's very uncomfortable for me, and I simply can't imagine that it's much more comfortable for anyone else.  In fact I've turned down gifts or distributed them anonymously among the grad students to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

[bar_scene_gambler]

In the comments here Schwitzgebel talks about thanking your letter-writers:

 

 

There's also a Leiter thread about it, where the consensus seems to favor notes. I think I'll probably just do that.

I was thinking I might give them small plants because I grow a lot of cuttings (and it's easy enough to throw a plant away if you don't want it). Unfortunately I had a rough gnat infestation, and I think gnats are probably a bad way to say thanks. 

 

BSG, what kind of pens does he collect?

I think he just has a thing for aesthetically interesting pens. I don't think he has a preference as far as I know.

[Table]

What price range are you looking for?

Also any chance he also likes pencils?

[philosophe]

This is the best advice I've heard. Do we have the same department administrator??

I thought about this awhile, and I've decided to stick with simple thank-you notes. As a TA, I've received gifts. It's very uncomfortable for me, and I simply can't imagine that it's much more comfortable for anyone else. In fact I've turned down gifts or distributed them anonymously among the grad students to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

We sure do! And she was helpful.

[bar_scene_gambler]

What price range are you looking for?

Also any chance he also likes pencils?

I think his thing is just pens. And basically a reasonable price range. Anything between $1-40ish is probably appropriate. I wouldn't want it to seem exorbitant or inappropriate. 

[axiomness]

One of mine I got a brand-spanking new Oxford Annotated Bible, what he had in his office was the Old Scofield KJV. So he went from the most (arguably) conservative/fundamentalist to the best scholarly/critical Bible. He's thrilled (he's Paul Draper, MattDest and Zizek).

 

Another was hard, and we know eachother incredibly well. I gave him my stole from graduation (as an honor) and a year-length subscription to Mental_Floss.

 

The other is very humanitarian/charity oriented. I donated to an educational fund (that directly supports, ironically, the above [2nd] recommender's teaching).

Edited January 29, 2014 by axiomness

[ianfaircloud]

We sure do! And she was helpful.

Ahh, my memory sucks!!  How embarrassing.  I remember your real name, but I forgot your user name.  Anyway, your situation may be a bit different, since you're no longer hanging around the dept.  I see these people pretty often.  But yeah, our administrator is the best.

[TheVineyard]

I'll be getting them shit after application season is over.