Hand-written thank yous = over the top?

[DrDarwin]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

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[true blue]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

Handwritten is always more personal, but e-mails are good too. I think it's all about your personal style.

And there is nothing wrong with sending a polite thank you note.

 

[lulubean]

all mine were handwritten. i don't think they either help or hurt - do what you are most comfortable with.

 

[virilep]

nope. handwritten I think is actually the standard... what did we do before email???

 

[fun8stuff]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

hand written thank-yous = A must

 

[CarleneM]

handwritten notes are the gold standard of thank yous. People are more likely to be put off by an email (although i don't think most would think its a big deal either way) than a classy handwritten note. How about a perfume laced handwritten note sealed with a kiss? Now that would be over the top.

 

[Law2Doc]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

None of this affects your application either way -- it is just a common courtesy/good manners. It is simply the norm for professionals or soon-to-be professionals to send thank you notes to interviewers (both in school and career settings). Most people don't consider it sucking up, notwithstanding what people like to post on this board. It thus doesn't really matter what style you use. If you have bad handwriting, definitely type it. If you are more comfortable with hand written, then go that route. I personally only use email thank yous when the person is a med student, or has given me their email address or otherwise indicated that they like communication via email. But frankly any route is fine.

 

[SitraAchra]

How about a perfume laced handwritten note sealed with a kiss? Now that would be over the top.

DAMNIT. my premed advisor even had me hug the stamp to the envelope.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

Yes, especially since most (likely if not all) thank you notes are worthless and don't help you in any way/shape/form.

 

[CarleneM]

Yes, especially since most (likely if not all) thank you notes are worthless and don't help you in any way/shape/form.

I really don't think thank you notes are going to make or break your application. however, it is common courtesy and these people have taken time out of their day to meet with (and in many cases, read over your application). i find it a little depressing when people say "don't write them- they don't help" because to me that misses the point entirely. and who knows, maybe they will help. they show continued interest, after all, and you can include tidbits to jog the interviewers memories about a particularly good convo.

 

[DrDarwin]

I really don't think thank you notes are going to make or break your application. however, it is common courtesy and these people have taken time out of their day to meet with (and in many cases, read over your application). i find it a little depressing when people say "don't write them- they don't help" because to me that misses the point entirely. and who knows, maybe they will help. they show continued interest, after all, and you can include tidbits to jog the interviewers memories about a particularly good convo.

I agree. I usually incorporate something about a conversation the interviewer and I had. The interviewer is then more likely to remember me when acting as my advocate during an admissions meeting.

I also agree that thank you notes should not be done only because they may help in the admissions process. Sending a thank you message is the least an applicant can do, considering the interviewer will have usually spent a significant amount of time reviewing materials and preparing for the interview.

Finally, I agree that typing is probably preferable if you have bad handwriting. My handwriting leaves something to be desired, but I wrote anyway because I bought a pack of thank you cards and wanted to send them.

 

[Blue Scrub]

I think emails are fine, but handwritten thank you's I think are better because they are more personal, and shows you took the time to do them, which can only help you when your interviewer talks about you to the adcoms....it def wont hurt you in anyway to write them

 

[PhotoMD]

DAMNIT. my premed advisor even had me hug the stamp to the envelope.

I prefer to stare at the thank-you card, chanting "Accept. Accept. Accept." for a half hour, then sending mind beams into the envelope after sealing. So far no acceptances, so the efficacy has yet to be demonstrated.

 

[trinitrotoluene]

Sending thank you notes is an essential part of good interviewing technique. Whoever helped to conduct the interview took a lot of their time to help you win admission to their college. The least you can do is show your apprication. (For those who disagree, buy any good book on job hunting.)

Considering that this is a professional interview, it only makes sense to send a formal business letter. This means a typed letter sent by postage mail. For interview thank you notes, email is still too informal to suffice. Handwriten notes do show a high level of personal attention; however, that is very informal. Informal is unacceptable.

 

[LVDoc]

Thank you notes do not matter, unless there are schools that strongly suggest you send them (yes, in case you don't believe me, some do advocate this to their interviewees). The most important thing is to leave your interviewer with a good impression. If you've done your job correctly, so will they. Resist the temptation to suck up - although you may think that this would be beneficial in terms of reminding your interviewer of who you are, it will take away from that last, solid impression you gave them, and it could probably be misconstrued by the interviewer (considering so many other applicants do the same thing). I almost forgot, if your interviewer didn't like you in the first place, chances are a thank-you note is not going to help things.

To take a different perspective though, if you genuinely feel so compelled as to write one out of courtesy, then by all means go ahead and do it - but if you think it will move your application any faster along the way, it won't.

 

[trinitrotoluene]

I almost forgot, if your interviewer didn't like you in the first place, chances are a thank-you note is not going to help things.

Not writing a thank you note will only make things worse.

 

[funshine]

Maybe my opinion will change when I actually have interviewers to thank, but


Wouldn't e-mail be more effective nowadays than handwritten cards? For me personally, I would just toss cards aside (or throw them away) after I"ve gotten them...honestly, it would take some effort on my part to keep track of them. My email inbox, on the other hand, is very easy to organize, and not to mention I'm constantly checking it and looking for older messages, which means I'm more likely to reread unimportant stuff as well (such as an interviewee's thank you note).

 

[leechy]

Are post-interview hand-written thank you notes/cards over the top? I have heard many interviewees say that they send email messages, but I think cards are much more personal. The question is, are they also perceived as a disgusting attempt to curry favor (which, in a way, they definitely are)?

If there's an email address available, or if the person gave you his/her business card, then I'd say just email. That's what I've been doing. I've sent handwritten notes once or twice when email addresses weren't available, more out of courtesy than a sense of necessity. And some people I didn't send anything to, because I didn't like them.

 

[NeuroSync]

I believe the standard is to send a handwritten thank you note. They are NOT just thrown out, either. I got a personal letter back, in response to my thank you note, from the dean of admissions at UW. If you are sincere, I think these notes are appropriate and helpful.

 

[DeepCowboy]

Handwritten thank-you letters or notes are the standard.

 

[Blue Scrub]

These interviewers are taking their own personal time out to interview you....they dont have to do it, they volunteer to....so the least you could do afterwards is take the time to write out a thank you note to them...if anything is going to be forgotten or "thrown-out", its an email....they probably receive tons of emails everyday, and its more likely they'll just read it and forget about it, maybe even delete it on the spot....leave them with a good impression of yourself even after the interview, it will only help you...write your thank you's, they'll appreciate it more!!

 

[CarleneM]

And some people I didn't send anything to, because I didn't like them.

Yeah at one school in particular which i very strongly disliked, the interviewers were unprepared and confrontational so i very passive aggressively did not send a thank you note. I guess that's a little immature but it made me feel psychologically a little better.....

 

[trinitrotoluene]

Yeah at one school in particular which i very strongly disliked, the interviewers were unprepared and confrontational so i very passive aggressively did not send a thank you note. I guess that's a little immature but it made me feel psychologically a little better.....

If a school treated me badly, I would not send a thank-you letter. Fortunately, that has not happened.