Gifts for LOR writers?

[ballwera]

Any ideas on what to get as a thank you to my letter writers? Also, should I give them out after all of my apps are complete or wait till the whole process is over?

[notsaxophones]

In general I don't think they expect gifts (that's what they all told me after I gave them one, haha), but I always do something handmade - Because I was home over christmas I got the chance to make caramels, so I wrapped a couple dozen caramels for each letter writer and put them in a nice tin. Simple, but it still shows that I appreciate what they did for me.

 

My letter writers are also on my honors thesis committee, so I will probably do something else after I graduate for them as well. 

[gliaful]

I was going to buy coffee mugs from the school I choose to attend and put a thank you note inside with some chocolates or something.

Edited January 9, 2015 by pasteltomato

[ballwera]

I was going to buy coffee mugs from the school I choose to attend and put a thank you note inside with some chocolates or something.

That's a neat idea. Also  a fun way to tell them where you are going. 

[PeterPanComplex]

I took advantage of the holidays and made them baskets filled with things catered to them (i.e. chocolates if they like chocolates, gluten free things if them or their SO can't eat gluten, etc) and notes accompanied each item explaining why they had made it to the basket! I also included a card from SfN that had a neuron-inspired print by Greg Dunn (awesome artwork btw http://www.gregadunn.com/).. FYI, One of my recommenders definitely said "you didn't need to do that!". I also purposely gave them these thank you gifts before I had received any invites, because whether my applications were successful or not, they had put in the work and I was grateful for that...

[shadowclaw]

When I applied 2 years ago, I made some fudge for my LOR writers as a gift... I have two absolutely delicious recipes that everyone loves. One is a half peanut butter, half chocolate fudge and the other is pumpkin. I put the fudge in a nice wintery-themed tin that I found in the Christmas section at Walmart and gave them to my writers after all the letters were in. Well, almost. It was after I thought all the letters were in, but then I applied to some masters programs in February after I got a rejected from almost everywhere I applied. I also ended up giving them gifts when I graduated, but not just because they wrote me letters, but because they were some of the most influential and helpful people during my undergraduate career. They were actually pretty amusing gifts. I gave my advisor a book called "The very best totally wrong test answers" because he had the misfortune of having freshman repeatedly give him completely weird answers on exams (such as people inventing protons and Darwin being gay). To another, I gave a book with pictures of funny signs because he was always playing Weird Al music videos at the start of class and telling us goofy science jokes. I gave my third writer a somewhat serious gift of plush bird toys. He had some ratty old ones that he used to demonstrate how bird banding worked and get kids excited about birds when they came on field trips to the nature preserve he worked at, so I gave him new ones. Plus they sang when you squeezed them!

 

I'm not sure what I'll get them this time around. I like the idea of getting a mug from where I choose to go (assuming I get accepted!), and I could always fill it with something fun. I'm thinking of also getting something for my thesis committee members at the end of the year as well.

[gliaful]

I took advantage of the holidays and made them baskets filled with things catered to them (i.e. chocolates if they like chocolates, gluten free things if them or their SO can't eat gluten, etc) and notes accompanied each item explaining why they had made it to the basket!

 

"Your strong background in chocolatiness is a perfect fit for our chocolate-loving stomachs."

"Your garlicness, while tasty, is not a strong fit for our PhD program in Eating Chocolate."

 

Was it like that? I find this idea hilarious.

Edited January 9, 2015 by pasteltomato

[PeterPanComplex]

"Your strong background in chocolatiness is a perfect fit for our chocolate-loving stomachs."

"Your garlicness, while tasty, is not a strong fit for our PhD program in Eating Chocolate."

 

Was it like that? I find this idea hilarious.

lol. No, but that would have been awesome!

[museum_geek]

I was going to buy coffee mugs from the school I choose to attend and put a thank you note inside with some chocolates or something.

 

I think I might steal this idea...in exchange for taking off with your intellectual property I repped you.  Fair deal?

[lab ratta-tat-tat]

I got my LOR writers a starbucks gift card, they were obsessed with coffee and a starbucks was right next to where we worked. For the PI who i worked with for years I bought him a nice bottle of scotch as a thank you for the years he mentored me and for the letter, but I knew him very well so it was appropriate.

 

Make sure you hand write the letter. I was also told that if you get into graduate school, to update your LOR writers about your acceptance so they know their letter helped you reach that milestone in your career trajectory.

[VLSB4Life]

All of my letter writers are micro or immuno people so in addition to writing a note I was thinking of getting a http://www.giantmicrobes.com/for each of them. 

[gliaful]

All of my letter writers are micro or immuno people so in addition to writing a note I was thinking of getting a http://www.giantmicrobes.com/for each of them. 

Those are adorable. They have osteocytes! I work with osteoblasts...

This is cute for neuro folk: http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/braincell-grad.html

[museum_geek]

 I was also told that if you get into graduate school, to update your LOR writers about your acceptance so they know their letter helped you reach that milestone in your career trajectory.

 

For sure.  One of my letter writers actually told me that very few of her students ever got back to her with results after her letter was submitted.  I'm actually really looking forward to letting my letter writers know about my results.  I want them to know that both their letters and their mentorship helped me reach my goals

[NSG-mdx]

I plan to buy a coffee mug from Cornell to my LOR writer during my interview because she graduated from Cornell and this year is Cornell's sesquicentennial.

Edited January 10, 2015 by NSG-mdx

[gliaful]

In addition to giving a university logo coffee mug, I was wondering -- as a sort of mini-gift -- about taking pictures of the university/facilities/cool city stuff and sending a few photos to LOR writers, as a "Look at all the cool stuff I got to see and experience because YOU helped me out!"

It sounds good in my head, but I was thinking it might get annoying to get an email each week (my interviews are all consecutive weekends) with a bunch of pictures. Maybe it would be better to send fewer emails with multiple visits represented in the pics.

Additionally, I don't know what the attitude is toward taking pictures during the interview weekends. Can someone chime in on this? Otherwise I'm going to go bug the "seasoned interviewees" AGAIN.

[Crucial BBQ]

In terms of etiquette, a hand-written, mailed, thank you note is proper however in this day and age a thank-you email would be sufficient.  To add, if you are under the age of 25-or perhaps even 30-you might not fully understand just how effin' stoked the "older" crowd gets over a hand-written note or letter; especially if it were actually mailed to them.  A thank you note is personal, something that you took the time out of your day to craft and mail off (hint, hint), and shows sincerity.  

 

Keep in mind that writing LORs is in their job description, it is something they are expected to do (at least from time-to-time), and something that they once required for themselves (and often times still do to this day).  

 

If you have a burning desire to still get them a gift, then it should be a small token and nothing more.  Otherwise you run the risk of embarrassment or appearing to bribe.  What if you were rejected from all programs this year (like I was last year) and you use the same recommenders next year (like I did this year)?  You don't want to be known as the student who sent in a box of chocolates (what if they were allergic?  Or diabetic? Or on a diet?) or a $50 gift card as a thank you.  

 

It is an entirely different matter to send a coffee mug, shot glass if you know them well enough, a t-shirt, or something university/program-centric after you have been accepted and have accepted the offer.  This would be a creative way to tell them you were accepted, and accepted, but it is not a thank you: it's just you being fun.  

 

An actual gift should only be reserved for those you really know (you hung out during office hours to discuss last Sunday's football game) or they wrote an excessive amount of LORs on your behalf (~20 or so).  

 

By the way, do not students typically reserve the gift-giving for when after they defend?  And also thank the LOR writers in their dissertation? 

 

To each their own.  The gift could very well be appreciated, but it is never expected.  Just keep in mind that you may appear to be giving a quid pro quo-a gift for a favor-when that favor is something they do anyways.  

 

*edit*  

The above is primarily for the U.S. It is my understanding that in some cultures it is appropriate to give gifts in exchange for LORs. 

Edited January 13, 2015 by Crucial BBQ

[Crucial BBQ]

On a side note:  I hear that baked goods are generally appreciated.  

[yolk]

I have some pleasant stationary that I was planning on writing a hand written thank you. Yes, nothing beats a well thought out letter received by post! I was also considering getting a few postcards. My writers have some connections (personal or family attendance) to some of my programs so I feel it would be appropriate.

In addition to giving a university logo coffee mug, I was wondering -- as a sort of mini-gift -- about taking pictures of the university/facilities/cool city stuff and sending a few photos to LOR writers, as a "Look at all the cool stuff I got to see and experience because YOU helped me out!"

It sounds good in my head, but I was thinking it might get annoying to get an email each week (my interviews are all consecutive weekends) with a bunch of pictures. Maybe it would be better to send fewer emails with multiple visits represented in the pics.

Additionally, I don't know what the attitude is toward taking pictures during the interview weekends. Can someone chime in on this? Otherwise I'm going to go bug the "seasoned interviewees" AGAIN.

I took pictures! Mostly of the campus, my hotel room, and some of the facilities I thought were cool. I'm hoping it wall jog my memory when it comes time to making decision of which program to attend. I snapped a pic of a banana tree in the greenhouse and the plant biochemist giving the tour had a proud smile. I think it shows that you are interested and engaged in their program. Taking pictures of laboratories or data might be a no-no. Edited January 14, 2015 by yolk

[blinchik]

I hand-wrote lengthy thank you cards and gave one LOR writer two novels I thought she'd love (and she did, it seems) and another some tongue-in-cheek microbiology-oriented stuff (a coffee mug and a magnet) - they have both been mentoring me, so I wanted to make the gifts special. I think anything is appreciated, but echoing what others have said, at the very minimum, I think professors would love to be updated on where you are going and receive a thank you card.