Gift card in Thank you letters

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Geebeejay

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So, I am planning on sending off my first batch of thank you letters, and I am going to type them. I was planning on sending $5 gift cards (starbucks, or something) with the card since I don't want to seem too cheap to buy actual stationary or thank you cards. I am only hoping that this won't come off as bribery or anything like that. Thoughts?
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Geebeejay said:
So, I am planning on sending off my first batch of thank you letters, and I am going to type them. I was planning on sending $5 gift cards (starbucks, or something) with the card since I don't want to seem too cheap to buy actual stationary or thank you cards. I am only hoping that this won't come off as bribery or anything like that. Thoughts?
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Without even knowing what these cards are for (LOR writers, interviewers, etc), I say go down to walmart, get some actual nice simple thank you cards, hand-write a thank you note, and mail it off. Forget the giftcard.
 
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Geebeejay said:
So, I am planning on sending off my first batch of thank you letters, and I am going to type them. I was planning on sending $5 gift cards (starbucks, or something) with the card since I don't want to seem too cheap to buy actual stationary or thank you cards. I am only hoping that this won't come off as bribery or anything like that. Thoughts?
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I hope this is a joke. Do you really think this is a good idea?
 
Last edited:
Geebeejay said:
So, I am planning on sending off my first batch of thank you letters, and I am going to type them. I was planning on sending $5 gift cards (starbucks, or something) with the card since I don't want to seem too cheap to buy actual stationary or thank you cards. I am only hoping that this won't come off as bribery or anything like that. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I will be blunt. If you sent me a gift card or anything of value in a Thank You note, I would call up the coordinator that had my summary sheet of you and rescind any support I had for you. If you are too lazy to hand write cards and are copy/pasting thank you notes, that is fine. It isn't going to help you anyways. But don't try to "make up for it" by sending a gift card... If you are hoping that it doesn't come off as bribery, what exactly are you hoping that it DOES come off as?

This kind of post emphasizes the point that I made in the other Thank You note thread. I had a Wash U faculty adcom emphasize that Thank You notes can only HURT you. This is because they open the door for people to do something incredibly stupid, like this. Granted people that do this kind of stuff are likely to trip up somewhere else in their application.
 
Yes absolutely DO NOT send anyone a gift card unless you are looking to get auto rejected for lack of common real world sense.
 
I think a gift card would be insulting, like you're bribing your way in.

Just an applicant's opinion.

Edit: mimelim beat me to it
 
Okay I won't do it. I guess I never saw anything wrong with it...sorta like offering to buy someone coffee in return for a favor (interviewing me, not accepting me), but I can see the other way too, hence why I made this post. I'll go with the overwhelming majority here. Thx for the responses.
 
mimelim said:
I will be blunt. If you sent me a gift card or anything of value in a Thank You note, I would call up the coordinator that had my summary sheet of you and rescind any support I had for you. If you are too lazy to hand write cards and are copy/pasting thank you notes, that is fine. It isn't going to help you anyways. But don't try to "make up for it" by sending a gift card... If you are hoping that it doesn't come off as bribery, what exactly are you hoping that it DOES come off as?

This kind of post emphasizes the point that I made in the other Thank You note thread. I had a Wash U faculty adcom emphasize that Thank You notes can only HURT you. This is because they open the door for people to do something incredibly stupid, like this. Granted people that do this kind of stuff are likely to trip up somewhere else in their application.
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I sent a thank you email to my advisors, lor writers, and docs that let me shadow them along with letting them know I was accepted. Is that wrong...? I also sent thank you emails to my interviewers...
 
typicalindian said:
I sent a thank you email to my advisors, lor writers, and docs that let me shadow them along with letting them know I was accepted. Is that wrong...? I also sent thank you emails to my interviewers...
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You're fine. Just don't send checks or money orders in the mail to either your letter writers or your interviewers.
 
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I wouldn't do it for the interviewers, but I did something like that for my Letter of Recs. I've known most of them for at least 2 years so I wrote a letter (about a page long) and bought them a coffee cup and I painted their name on it.
 
Nymphicus said:
You're fine. Just don't send checks or money orders in the mail to either your letter writers or your interviewers.
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Lol gotcha.
I am going to visit them once midterm hell is over but I just wanted to tell them thanks instead of showing up and saying "oh so I got accepted to med school 2 weeks ago". 😀
 
If I were the adcom I'd digitally shred your application as I sipped on my free latte.

cheechootrain said:
I wouldn't do it for the interviewers, but I did something like that for my Letter of Recs. I've known most of them for at least 2 years so I wrote a letter (about a page long) and bought them a coffee cup and I painted their name on it.
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Awesome. I never thought of getting something for my recommenders. Probably gonna do starbucks gift cards though since most of mine drink coffee or tea.
 
cheechootrain said:
I wouldn't do it for the interviewers, but I did something like that for my Letter of Recs. I've known most of them for at least 2 years so I wrote a letter (about a page long) and bought them a coffee cup and I painted their name on it.
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typicalindian said:
Lol gotcha.
I am going to visit them once midterm hell is over but I just wanted to tell them thanks instead of showing up and saying "oh so I got accepted to med school 2 weeks ago". 😀
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I got some of my more involved letter writers a mug from the school I chose to attend.
 
typicalindian said:
I sent a thank you email to my advisors, lor writers, and docs that let me shadow them along with letting them know I was accepted. Is that wrong...? I also sent thank you emails to my interviewers...
Click to expand...

Two separate groups.

1) Advisors/LOR writers etc. - When I was accepted to medical school, I took a bottle of wine and card to all of my LOR writers. I had a short 5-10 min thank you conversation with them and delivered each of them. Each of them was a mentor and I was thanking them more for their support and guidance than for simply writing me a letter. I did the same thing the week following match day for residency. I owe each and every single one of them for developing me through their teaching, wisdom and ultimately friendship. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was (truly blessed with how things worked out) and I'm not saying everyone should be doing this. But it is very appropriate to thank people who have helped you get to where you are.

2) Interviewers - I don't want you to think that it is wrong to write Thank You notes. It isn't. But you need to realize that objectively, it is not going to help you. This is NOT a reason to NOT write a Thank You. But it is a cautionary. Every extra step or communication that you have with a program carries with it the chance to look the fool. I've heard of people doing things like this in the past and making a mistake, either massive grammar/spelling errors or something insensitive or stupid which #1 makes me more cynical about the stereotypical pre-med and #2 makes me think that some people should avoid contact with the adcoms as much as possible for their own good.

There isn't something wrong with writing Thank Yous.
 
cheechootrain said:
I wouldn't do it for the interviewers, but I did something like that for my Letter of Recs. I've known most of them for at least 2 years so I wrote a letter (about a page long) and bought them a coffee cup and I painted their name on it.
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Sounds good 🙂. My primary advisor (met him my first week of freshman year) in undergrad and I shared that bottle of wine with my parents when I graduated and we all signed it. It now sits in his lab 🙂.
 
mimelim said:
Two separate groups.

1) Advisors/LOR writers etc. - When I was accepted to medical school, I took a bottle of wine and card to all of my LOR writers. I had a short 5-10 min thank you conversation with them and delivered each of them. Each of them was a mentor and I was thanking them more for their support and guidance than for simply writing me a letter. I did the same thing the week following match day for residency. I owe each and every single one of them for developing me through their teaching, wisdom and ultimately friendship. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was (truly blessed with how things worked out) and I'm not saying everyone should be doing this. But it is very appropriate to thank people who have helped you get to where you are.

2) Interviewers - I don't want you to think that it is wrong to write Thank You notes. It isn't. But you need to realize that objectively, it is not going to help you. This is NOT a reason to NOT write a Thank You. But it is a cautionary. Every extra step or communication that you have with a program carries with it the chance to look the fool. I've heard of people doing things like this in the past and making a mistake, either massive grammar/spelling errors or something insensitive or stupid which #1 makes me more cynical about the stereotypical pre-med and #2 makes me think that some people should avoid contact with the adcoms as much as possible for their own good.

There isn't something wrong with writing Thank Yous.
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Ah I see. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of relationship with my LOR writers haha. Maybe during med school I'll have someone awesome as a mentor.
 
mimelim said:
Two separate groups.

1) Advisors/LOR writers etc. - When I was accepted to medical school, I took a bottle of wine and card to all of my LOR writers. I had a short 5-10 min thank you conversation with them and delivered each of them. Each of them was a mentor and I was thanking them more for their support and guidance than for simply writing me a letter. I did the same thing the week following match day for residency. I owe each and every single one of them for developing me through their teaching, wisdom and ultimately friendship. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was (truly blessed with how things worked out) and I'm not saying everyone should be doing this. But it is very appropriate to thank people who have helped you get to where you are.

2) Interviewers - I don't want you to think that it is wrong to write Thank You notes. It isn't. But you need to realize that objectively, it is not going to help you. This is NOT a reason to NOT write a Thank You. But it is a cautionary. Every extra step or communication that you have with a program carries with it the chance to look the fool. I've heard of people doing things like this in the past and making a mistake, either massive grammar/spelling errors or something insensitive or stupid which #1 makes me more cynical about the stereotypical pre-med and #2 makes me think that some people should avoid contact with the adcoms as much as possible for their own good.

There isn't something wrong with writing Thank Yous.
Click to expand...

Hah, making me consider to write thank you letters after I hear a decision. Again, thanks for the advice man, I appreciate it. I only wanted to do something nice, but this sounds like a mistake.
 
typicalindian said:
Ah I see. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of relationship with my LOR writers haha. Maybe during med school I'll have someone awesome as a mentor.
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Luck. Things simply worked out. Just put yourself in a position get lucky, you can't do more than that. Work your ass off, get passionate and explore. Someone will notice and help you. I think that is one of the reasons I felt at home in medicine. Certainly doesn't apply to everyone, but by and large it is a community that values education and being a life long learner.

Geebeejay said:
Hah, making me consider to write thank you letters after I hear a decision. Again, thanks for the advice man, I appreciate it. I only wanted to do something nice, but this sounds like a mistake.
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No problem 🙂.
 
Why is it so bad to send a gift card as a thank you? Assuming you don't look like a fool or make grammar mistakes, wouldn't it be interpreted as just a way of saying thanks? I'm just curious of WHY it is such a bad idea..


To the OP: You should go with what the more experienced people have said and not send the gift card
 
Geebeejay said:
So, I am planning on sending off my first batch of thank you letters, and I am going to type them. I was planning on sending $5 gift cards (starbucks, or something) with the card since I don't want to seem too cheap to buy actual stationary or thank you cards. I am only hoping that this won't come off as bribery or anything like that. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

No.
 
MangoPlant said:
Why is it so bad to send a gift card as a thank you? Assuming you don't look like a fool or make grammar mistakes, wouldn't it be interpreted as just a way of saying thanks? I'm just curious of WHY it is such a bad idea..


To the OP: You should go with what the more experienced people have said and not send the gift card
Click to expand...

Imagine two applicants, Joe and Bob, who send in gift cards with their thank you notes. Joe sends in a $5 gift card, and Bob sends in a $10 gift card.

I don't think I need to say more.
 
So, not only are you suggesting that you bribe your interviewers, but you're suggesting lowballing them?
 
Lol, the whole point of my post is I'm not trying to bribe anyone....I'm trying to show my appreciation them taking the time to interview me. I wanted to know if others thought adcoms would take this as a greasy gesture, and it looks like the consensus is that's what it would come off as.

If I was trying to bribe someone, I would buy him an escort, or a shiny new watch
 
No gift cards for interviewers. The very idea of it is shocking.

A gift card to someone you aren't able to visit in person (due to distance) with a note thanking them for their support (mentoring, shadowing, letter writing) & letting them know where you have chosen to matriculate is very nice. If distance isn't an issue, a gift of wine or sweets (know their poison) with an in-person visit is charming.

A gift card & thank you note to someone who opened their home to you while you were on the interview trail would be nice if you didn't bring a "hostess gift" or take them out to dinner. (Student hosts).
 
LizzyM said:
No gift cards for interviewers. The very idea of it is shocking.
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Heh guess I was WAY off on this idea huh. I guess I'd know a lot better if I had interviewed someone myself in the past. Glad I at least had enough foresight to post before I acted.
 
And just for the record, has anyone actually ever done anything like this before? (To LizzyM and medical students)
 
Geebeejay said:
And just for the record, has anyone actually ever done anything like this before? (To LizzyM and medical students)
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I've never gotten anything aside from handwritten notes (or email) from someone I've interviewed. I've received a gift card once, from someone no longer living in the area but to whom I'd been a mentor/letter writer. I've received my share of treats and souveniers brought back from trips as a "thank you" from students whom I've mentored IRL.
 
You've already sent them a gift card in the form of your application fee, aka their salaries 🙂
 
Laurlaur said:
You've already sent them a gift card in the form of your application fee, aka their salaries 🙂
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But many interviewers don't get paid, they do this voluntarily as "good citizens" of the university. Those who are in medical practice are actually taking time away from earning a living (not holding office hours) to do these interviews. You may not know this but many "medical school faculty" support themselves taking care of patients and are not paid by the medical school for supervising residents and medical students and giving a lecture or two each year or teaching clinical skills for a few weeks per year.

That said, you should not give any type of gift to a medical school interviewer.
 
LizzyM said:
But many interviewers don't get paid, they do this voluntarily as "good citizens" of the university. Those who are in medical practice are actually taking time away from earning a living (not holding office hours) to do these interviews. You may not know this but many "medical school faculty" support themselves taking care of patients and are not paid by the medical school for supervising residents and medical students and giving a lecture or two each year or teaching clinical skills for a few weeks per year.

That said, you should not give any type of gift to a medical school interviewer.
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Hm who would have thought.
By the way, kind of unrelated. I know you are on an admissions committee for some school, but what's your degree? Are you an MD? A PhD?
 
typicalindian said:
Hm who would have thought.
By the way, kind of unrelated. I know you are on an admissions committee for some school, but what's your degree? Are you an MD? A PhD?
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I am not an MD (or DO) but I'd rather not say more about my academic credentials (still attempting anonymity here).
 
MangoPlant said:
Why is it so bad to send a gift card as a thank you? Assuming you don't look like a fool or make grammar mistakes, wouldn't it be interpreted as just a way of saying thanks? I'm just curious of WHY it is such a bad idea..


To the OP: You should go with what the more experienced people have said and not send the gift card
Click to expand...

It's just inappropriate and unprofessional behavior. I highly doubt the OP even meant for it to be any form of "bribery." But it's just not something that's done. There isn't a reason for it.

(sent from my phone)
 
LizzyM said:
I am not an MD (or DO) but I'd rather not say more about my academic credentials (still attempting anonymity here).
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That's ok! Just wanted to know if you were a physician or had some other role in academia. Thanks for answering.
 
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