A good time to send out Thank You cards to LoR writers?

[SweetRain]

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I was wondering when the good time would be to send out thank you cards. Should I send them out now, or when I get and interview?

My letter writers are my PI and another professor that I TA for, so I see them on a daily basis and I felt kind of awkward giving them thank you cards.

Is this a good time?

 

[empty p orbital]

Like another poster said in a previous thread: you are thanking them for their time and consideration, not the "results" their letters bring, so I'd imagine the sooner the better. Sending it before you get any interviews shows more appreciation, in my opinion, because it's like saying "Hey regardless of whether or not I get in anywhere, thanks for writing that LoR for me."

This won't really have any effect on your chances anywhere, but it's just the courteous thing to do.

If just giving them a letter is too awkward, then maybe get them some kind of $15 or less gift that you know they would enjoy and attach a thank you note to it. That would make it more personable, since it seems like you know them quite well. Some chocolates, a book that fits their personality/interests, etc. But be careful not to do anything to extraordinary or it might come across kinda creepy or almost as a quid pro quo kind of thing...

 

[AnthroMD]

I agree with the above post: the sooner the better.

I'm sending my letter writers thank you cards as soon as I see that they uploaded the letter to Interfolio and I can send them off.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I just want your input on the following scenario:

Say your research PI emails you saying he wrote your letter of rec....do you then respond via email thanking them and THEN give them a handwritten card also? Or just follow up with the handwritten card when you see him next and "ignore" the email?

 

[Poliscidoc]

I just want your input on the following scenario:

Say your research PI emails you saying he wrote your letter of rec....do you then respond via email thanking them and THEN give them a handwritten card also? Or just follow up with the handwritten card when you see him next and "ignore" the email?

I say email and then formal thank you.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I thanked them immediately for the letters, but I also sent out formal thank you letters with gifts (gift cards for coffee and a small item with the emblem of my new medical school on it) when I was done with the cycle. It isn't so much about thanking them for the results as it is a way to attribute your success to them. Obviously, this doesn't work if you don't get in...