What should I get as a thank you gift to my recommendation writers?

[tll]

I'm applying to 7 or more schools, and my boss at work has been helping me out a lot with my application, which I am very grateful for. Do you guys just send a thank you note via email? Send a card? Or a physical gift (which I don't know what would be appropriate). 

[LittleDarlings]

I gave all of my LOR writers a gift card to starbucks and a thank you card that I wrote specifically to them. 

[schoolpsy15]

I sent my letter writers a coffee mug filled with Carol's Cookies. http://www.carolscookies.com/order-cookies/carol-s-coffee-cup-w-minis.html

[iphi]

I gave them a handwritten thank you note and a Godiva chocolate bar!

[Read_books]

I'm offering to make a donation to the charity of their choice, and sending a thank you card.

[Chianti]

Hand written note now and en email letting your boss know where you attend once you make an admissions decision.

My LOR writers enjoyed getting that follow-up email a few months later.

[lab ratta-tat-tat]

7 schools is a lot of work, so you can titrate your gift based on how well you know your recommender personally

I sent all my recommenders alcohol, except one whose state does not allow me to mail them alcohol, I bought him a starbucks gift card (since he was obsessed with coffee) and before I moved from that state to a new state across the country, I gave him a bottle of scotch for his years of mentorship.

I had worked with my recommenders for four years so I knew them pretty well and knew this would not be offensive.

 

No matter what you send, make sure you include a hand written thank you note!

Good luck this application season! May the odds be in your favor!

[drownsoda]

I plan on writing some hand-written thank you cards to each of them and dropping them in their mailboxes at my department, and maybe buying each of them a fancy writing pen or something. One of my recommenders was my intern supervisor at a local community college though, so I may send him his in the mail as I don't have time to make it out to that campus often.

[grad_wannabe]

I got each of mine a nice book tailored to their interests and a thank-you card. I'll be presenting them in person to two writers today, I'll post back what the response is. 

[ritapita]

I too got my letter writers books and a card.  In my case they were all closely involved in my graduate research, so I got them books that related to that but would also be very enjoyable.  In one instance, I got an out-of-print hardcover book.  This person also served on my committee, so I went a little further for him, but all the books will have a special place on their shelves and will be an easy reminder of our experience together.  I feel letter writing is so crucial to our successfully moving forward to a PhD.  Some people don't take it serious, and look at it only as a step that needs to be checked off.  A lot of time and work goes in to constructing letters for us, by people that are already swamped with work.  These letters could make or break us, and the more you have to submit, the more work it is for them.  Any gesture of thanks will be appreciated, but if you can make it personal, all the better!

[grad_wannabe]

Response to books and hand-written thank-you cards: they went over very well. 

[Asperfemme]

Reading this is really helpful for me, as well - I am thinking of getting coffee gift cards for two of my LOR writers based on their coffee taste and a pen/pen set for the third writer who I know gets coffee from other sources but told me he always loses his pens.

 

Should I tell the LOR writer in advance that I am planning to get him a gift afterwards? There is one person I haven't received letters from yet (the application deadline is the second week of January) so I'm tempted to let him know that I will send him a thank-you thing afterward.

[ritapita]

I personally wouldn't tell them you are getting a gift before the deed is done.  That seems kind of awkward to me, almost bribe-like, but not. It feels genuine to them if we don't divulge, and I think for most of us it is a genuine gesture.    Some letter writers I am sure never get something from those they write for, and I know that 2 of 3 of mine were very surprised and very thankful for the gesture. The other one is a very motherly professor and gets gifts all the time from students.  I am sure they aren't sitting there pondering what gift we might give them if they write us that letter.  Then again, maybe they are and its all a ploy! haha.  

[MonicaSLP]

Umm....a heartfelt thank-you email when I got the acceptance to my first choice?

[Guest]

I'm at this stage right now. All of my recommendation writers were professors.. Since I'm still in undergrad, I'll give it to them in person. It's finals week though, so I hope that I can catch them at the right time.

 

All of my programs (applied to 7) required mostly 3 recommendation letters. I've also had 2+ courses with all of  my recommendation writers. I feel that I still don't know much about them in regards to knowing what kind of gift preferences that would be nice...nor do I have a car to go drive and get something fancy. I definitely have the capacity to go get a thank you card. I  will also write a handwritten note to let them know of my whereabouts in the future/ my upcoming plans of preparing for grad school. I think that them wanting to know the outcome of the application process is the biggest thing that they might care about.....

Edited May 2, 2015 by Guest

[felinebookworm]

I gave all of my professors a personalized hand written thank you cards and a pack of lindor assorted chocolates each to thank them for their hard work. I wrote in the cards thanking them for writing the letters, their support through the years, how each one actually made me consider graduate school (prior to my second year of study I never thought about because I never thought I'd have the capacity to get in, until they mentioned it to me) and that I would keep them updated about my applications. They wrote two recommendation letters each and I thought it was a nice way to thank them. I dropped it off in their mailboxes at the school. They appreciated it too.