Thanking folks who wrote LOR

[coffeecoffeebuzzbuzz]

I was wondering about how people thank the folks who wrote them a LOR, and if so how they went about it.

[fuzzylogician]

I thanked them before, during and after, mostly using email and occasionally in conversation when it came up (I worked/took classes with all my LORs on a regular basis). Also sent Christmas cards this year. Professional connections are one of the most important things to make and cultivate during grad school. I try and keep the ones I already have, even if I don't get to work with them anymore.

[socialpsychg]

I haven't decided if I'll just send them an email or snail mail (w/ a small Dunkin Donuts giftcard), but I plan on thanking them again and telling them about my accepts/rejects etc. when this is all over.

Edited February 22, 2010 by socialpsychg

[johndiligent]

I've been waiting for a pay check (and for confirmation that all of the letters have been received) before I send anything, but I'm planning on picking up some nice thank you cards and sending them this weekend. Once I have all of the results in and have made my decision, I'll likely send a short letter on nice stationery to let them know which school I'll be attending and to thank them again.

I think that'll be the extent of it. I was considering purchasing gifts but I still haven't found a middle ground between impersonal/perfunctory and gaudy.

[microman]

I actually gave all of mine homemade beef jerky after they submitted their letters and continually thanked them throughout the process. It was definitely a lot of schools for them to deal with.

[Genomic Repairman]

Generally I hand write a personal thank you note to anyone who wrote me an LOR to express my gratitude for their kind gesture.

[JerryLandis]

I am waiting to hear back from my schools, at which point I will write thank you notes to let them know where I did and didn't get accepted. Partly, I just like any excuse to get out pretty cards/stationery and write notes to seal in little envelopes. As lame as it sounds, I actually already have little cards picked out whose images correspond with their particular research interests (stationery I bought when visiting historic sites). I like getting handwritten notes from people, so I try to write them myself for others. Also, I think that showing appreciation is a good thing because I don't know about all of you, but I intend to ask at lest one of these professors for another letter when I reapply for PhD programs in a year or two.

I would thank them by baking something nice, but I'm wary of doing stuff like that for people whose class I'm currently taking, because I don't want them to get the wrong impression and think I'm sucking up. I've only ever given gifts to teachers after finishing their classes. Meanwhile, the other LOR I'm on friendly terms with is kind of on a diet so I don't want to give him something that will make him feel like crap!

[lily_]

I thanked them via e-mail once their letters were submitted, and then I sent them thank-you cards, and I am planning on visiting the ones within a stone's throw in a few weeks.

When I did campus visits I sent every person I met with a small thank-you note as well. I do the same thing with job interviews. I guess it's old-fashioned, but I think it helps in the long run and is generally a nice thing to do.

[BCHistory]

When I did campus visits I sent every person I met with a small thank-you note as well. I do the same thing with job interviews. I guess it's old-fashioned, but I think it helps in the long run and is generally a nice thing to do.

Definitely! I think it's a very nice gesture, as well.

[mares]

I wrote thank you cards to my LOR writers as well as a member of the staff at my university who helped me work on my personal statement (as she graduated two years ago from the program I am applying to). When I visited my university a week later, I checked with my profs to see if they got my note and they all were very appreciative that I took the time out to write them a thank you note. I am not going to give gifts because I would probably only feel comfortable giving my advisor a gift, and I can't give only 1/3 of my LOR writers a gift! Plus I wouldn't know what to give them, anyway.

[emilywantstogetin]

I thank them via email after everything is in, and then when all the results are out, I thank them either via email or a handwritten note with the results.

[anxiousapplicant]

I am always constantly thanking them whenever I see them and the grad topic comes up. We're a very close-knit school, so it would be worse than rude not to. I plan to write them cards and possibly include a gift certificate, if I have enough money.

[Musili]

I thanked them after the process was over, and updated all three of them via email (w/a thank you) upon my first acceptance, especially since one of them is an alum of the program.

Once my decision is made I'll write them a snail mail note containing that information and thanking them again.

I went to a small college. Had I gone to a larger one, I may not have had so much contact with them.

[snappy]

I went from undergrad to grad on the same campus, so many of the professors I will meet again. But I did get some LORs from outside academic departments and promised them to keep them up-to-date on my progress during graduate school. Most that provided LORs had a genuine interest to see me succeed. So I vow to make good on their LORs and excel in the field. As such, I will keep them updated of my progress.

[joro]

I plan on visiting the Professors once I know where I'm going for sure. Since they're all from the same school, I have no problems seeing all 3. And I also need to pick up a book of publications which I let one of my Professors borrow and forgot to get back. Hopefully he knows that is mine and not his to keep.

[Postbib Yeshuist]

I answered "yes" to everything on the poll but the first choice. I think choices 2-5 should ALL be done, personally, and for each prof. The only question is, what to give them?

[wang chuk]

I emailed thank you notes after confirmation from schools that the LORs had been submitted. Then I sent a small gift (cute swiveling laptop stand) with handwritten thank you note to each prof and mentioned I would be in touch again with admission/rejection news. I also mentioned that if I don't get accepted anywhere I will be reapplying next year.

[Bumblebee]

I thanked them before, during and after. I happen to work with my LORs, so when I came back after Christmas, I brought them a little present from my country, too.

[coffeecoffeebuzzbuzz]

I just thought I would share what I did last year at this time....

- For each person who wrote me a LOR I sent them both a card that I made (featuring a photograph I took, plus really nice paper) and I mailed a 8 x 10 signed print of one of my paintings. This combo was sent roughly one month after the last application was submitted. I think I spent $5 per card on supplies, but I think the value was more from the personal effort that went into making them.

- For every school that seriously considered me I sent a handmade card to each person (faculty, student, admin) who took the time to interview me or introduce me to the school.

- Once I was awarded a rather prestigious fellowship I shared the good news by giving each LOR writer a plant that was in reference to my research goals (as proposed in the fellowship application). I think I ended up spending roughly $20 per plant per person. This seemed well received but I think it made one fellow blush and I would caution giving anyone a houseplant that is easily killed.

This year around I think I am going to do a similar thing, general thank you cards for the effort and then a follow up gift/letter when/if I am accepted anywhere. I am planning to spend the next few weekends painting for this year's cards. This years gift is probably going to be a bottle of wine or a really nice microbrew, but I need to check on mailing regulations between states. Other ideas might be a gift certificate to Powell's books for those hard to find academic texts.