Admit/Reject Etiquette

[cupofnimbus]

How have others handled sending thank you cards to programs following admission decisions?

 

I'd like to send a brief thank-you card to anyone at the school who has been in contact or helpful, but who receives the card thanking the department/committee/graduate school for considering my application? And are there any cases where this might not be seen as a gracious gesture, but an annoyance (or, worse, sycophantic maneuvering)?

[TakeruK]

My opinion is to don't do this. I think thank-you cards are overused and should only be for cases where someone went above and beyond. Considering your application is their job, no thank-you card needed. Also, many programs have hundreds of applicants, so this is unnecessary and can be an annoyance.

 

However, there are lots of other ways to show your appreciation for their time. For the schools that rejected me, I just responded (via email) politely back to whomever notified me and thanked them for their consideration. For the schools that accepted me, I wrote this message in my email accepting/declining their offer. For the schools that I actually visited, there was a staff member in the department office that handled the organization and expense/travel report forms. So, I sent a separate email thanking them personally for helping make the visit great. 

[AmericanQuant]

A quick email thank you is appropriate for anyone that contacted you personally (i.e. not with a form letter). No need to send something to someplace that rejected you generically.