how to say "thank you" for recommendation letters

[NJT]

Hello,
Just wondering what y'all did. I know the standard note is usually the norm but I was wondering if that's enough as the people I have are writing on more than one form for me as I am applying to more than one place (this is for a masters of public health btw just thought I'd get more responses if I posted here). thanks! t.

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[pakidoc]

what i did: box of chocs with a thanku card

 

[UCLAreject]

i just sent a cake with my amcas id written in frosting on the top

 

[SaraL124]

what i did: box of chocs with a thanku card

same here. Someone I know is planning to send t-shirts from the school he ends up at.

 

[Fusion]

Send a hand-written thank you card with a $10 Starbucks gift card inside.

 

[fotolilith]

I gave my rec letter writer a copy of my favorite book, "Botany of Desire." It's about how plants and humans co-evolve (and the humor of it all). Great book!

 

[daysleeprx]

Gave two people flowers, one person a $50 gift certificate, and one person a bottle of scotch.

 

[LSUwannabe]

It seems like every three days I post this on some form of this thread...perhaps I'll stop at some point.

I delivered a decent bottle of wine for mine, but one really liked stogies so I scored some La Cohiba's for him.

Wine's great, IMO, b/c they can always re-gift it if they're not boozers.

 

[NJT]

good ideas..i like the starbucks idea, although i would change it to dunkin donuts. what do you all think about chocolate covered strawberries?

 

[docjolly]

i just sent a cake with my amcas id written in frosting on the top

Actually, I think this is more appropriate for your interviewer

 

[superdevil]

what do you all think about chocolate covered strawberries?

maybe its just me, but that sounds kind of...sensual. exactly how well do you like your recommeders?

of course, hopefully they aren't demented weirdo's like me.

 

[Blue Scrub]

i just sent a cake with my amcas id written in frosting on the top

this is clearly the best idea in this forum thus far

 

[newhavenjake]

i think personalization is the key

I got america by john stewart for a liberal prof

4 movie passes to an alternative/independent films theater for another liberal prof

$30 certificate to smartbabies.com for a prof who just had a baby.

 

[IndyZX]

del

 

[riverie]

i gave my pre-med advisor a blue chinese silk robe with an embroidered dragon on one of the reversible sides. he loved it.
i gave another of my recommenders an oriental maroon placemat set with chopsticks. (he's filipino chinese)
i gave my last recommender, a lady professor, a grey chiffon scarf/shawl.
i got all the gifts when i was home for vacation in singapore and figured they would be unique ones. and after the conversion rate, they really weren't too expensive.

 

[DianaLynne]

I offered all my letter writers a free mole check. Seriously, I sent Xmas cards with giftcards to Barnes & Noble.

 

[superdevil]

each of those who wrote for me will get a t-shirt of where i end up and something else (probably chocolates for the ladies and cigars for the gents, but i haven't ruled out gift certificates, either).

 

[Blue Scrub]

you guys make me feel like a douchebag.

haha....me too....all i really did was write them thank you emails......they seemed fine with it

 

[superdevil]

haha....me too....all i really did was write them thank you emails......they seemed fine with it

and of course, that's plenty. but i have known my recommenders well over a period of years and there's a decent chance that i won't see them again for many years to come--if ever again. so i figure the 100 bones for some small gifts is worth it to me.

 

[Fusion]

I like a lot of the small gift ideas suggested so far except the T-shirts. Just seems kind of silly to me. I mean, it's not as if your recommender is going to actually wear it, and it's not something that they could re-gift very easily either. Most of the time, recommenders aren't expecting anything besides a thank you card or email. If you do choose to include something along with the thank you, keep it simple.

 

[NJT]

Thanks for the advice you guys..thought I'd let you know that I went with the starbucks gift cards; they look really nice and hey, coffee is always a good thing, right? t.

 

[Blue Scrub]

starbucks gift cert is a good idea, wish I had done that

 

[tunguyen99]

Thanks for the advice you guys..thought I'd let you know that I went with the starbucks gift cards; they look really nice and hey, coffee is always a good thing, right? t.

I go with the starbucks gift cards but how much would it be appropriate? $25? $50? for each gift card? Thanks.

 

[Blue Scrub]

I guess its up to you...how well do you know the person? I'd say $10-$25 would be more than fine...that's what I would have done

 

[GATORade]

I actually took two of my letter writers out for dinner. Granted I'm a nontraditional applicant and my writers were colleagues. I'm not quite sure how appropriate it would be for you to ask your Organic Chemistry teacher out for a drink and a bite to eat.