Thank You Notes/Gifts!

[glaciers17]

My recommenders have all submitted their letters of rec, and I am now in the painful process of waiting to hear back from schools.  I have thanked everyone profusely over email throughout the process, and I also think it is appropriate to send a small gift at some point.

 

When do you think it would be appropriate to send a gift?  Now?  After I get in somewhere?  After I decide where to go?

 

Also, what kind of gift do you recommend?  I do not live near my recommenders so will be sending everything in the mail.

[PokePsych]

I did it after they submitted - but I have fairly informal and good bonds with all of my refs. I send them some pretty bookmarkers as I am abroad and it's sort of a nice craft they have here (just google Korean bookmark; I also picked one with a design related to scholars haha). Plus they're small and light so easy to ship Got very positive responses back. 

[rosali]

I don't think there's really a bad time to send someone a gift--they'll most likely appreciate a gift from you whenever you can send it!

Personally, I'm planning on giving my recommenders gifts whenever I happen get the chance to go to campus (I live in the same city where I got my undergrad degree). I'm making them bagels, because I love baking and that's my specialty. Otherwise, I agree with Psygeek--something small and light that you think they'll appreciate is a perfect gift!

[Carly Rae Jepsen]

I'm planning on sending thank you cards with a written message and maybe a Starbucks gift card or chocolate. You can't almost ever go wrong with either one, professors love caffeine as much as students and I've met like two people in my life who don't like chocolate  

[scientific]

5 minutes ago, Carly Rae Jepsen said:

I'm planning on sending thank you cards with a written message and maybe a Starbucks gift card or chocolate. You can't almost ever go wrong with either one, professors love caffeine as much as students and I've met like two people in my life who don't like chocolate  

Oh gift cards are a great idea! Our campus has some great coffee places and I definitely have grabbed coffee with them all.

BTW, who knew CRJ was such an ambitious graduate student?

[glaciers17]

Thanks all!

[petrichordant]

I plan to give my LOR writers a thank you card and small gift once I've decided where I'm going.  When I was accepted to my MA program, I gave my letter writers a nice pen from the school I had chosen, and that went over well - everyone can always use an extra pen!  I'll be visiting my top choice for a prospective students weekend, so I'm going to keep an eye out for some little food gifts or trinkets specifically from that school/city.