Question about post-interview etiquite

[gex2006]

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After I interview at the college, who should I all send thank you notes to? To the school in general or one to each of the interviewers? Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[DVMorBust]

Interviewers.

 

[Pomona2006]

Agreed!

 

[bmichs75DVM]

Ya, just send an thank you note to each of your interviewers. That should suffice.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I've always been on the fence about interview thank you notes. Think how many hundreds of people they interview, and if everyone sent notes...that would be rather annoying, getting a hundred-odd notes. They wouldn't remember everyone who sent one and probably would not even read them... It isn't like you're one of a very few being interviewed (in which case it would be appropriate)....yet another note stuffed along with tons of others will probably not even be read. It might even annoy certain interviewers because it can come off as brown-nosing. But I'm a cynical old beast 😉

 

[alliecat44]

When I was an applicant, I too was on the fence about thank-you notes. Now that I'm in school and know a couple of interviewres personally, I understand why they're not generally recommended.

Firstly, there's exactly the point about volume that WhtstheFrequency brought up. Second, it's pretty pointless, as interviewers don't even have access to your file after the interview date.

could be different at some schools, but I highly doubt it--or at least highly doubt they have access to your file 3-10 business days afterwards.

 

[DVMorBust]

Second, it's pretty pointless, as interviewers don't even have access to your file after the interview date.

I don't think that most people send them in order to affect their application one way or the other...

I sent a thank-you email to each interviewer. It's just how I was raised - you send thank-you notes for EVERYTHING.

Is it rude not to? Absolutely not. Is it annoying for people to receive them? ...well, maybe. But I think it would be a bit odd to get annoyed at someone saying thanks.

Is it beneficial to? Most likely only in the sense that I would have worried about it had I not, so it gave me peace of mind to send them.

 

[Pomona2006]

Like DVMorBust, I was raised sending thank you notes - - - for everything. Although since becoming an "adult" and living on my own, I only send them when I truly appreciate something and want the person to know - big or small. Interviewing me is something that I really appreciate and I want the interviewers to know that. I don't like the idea of sending a thank you just because you're supposed to. Do what you want to - it's not likely to impact your application, and I highly doubt the majority of people send them. Either way, I doubt you will be judged (negatively or positively) based upon whether you send a thank you.

 

[alliecat44]

Do what you want to - it's not likely to impact your application, and I highly doubt the majority of people send them. Either way, I doubt you will be judged (negatively or positively) based upon whether you send a thank you.

Sure, do what you want to do--but the OP was asking who they "should" send thank-you notes to. In which case, the answer would be "send them to whomever you want to."

I think the above is good information to keep in mind if affecting their application was the OP's original intent. Also good to keep in mind for those who were interviewed a while ago and are now freaking out because they didn't send thank-you notes, or those who have already been rejected/wait-listed and might be reading this thread and be scared if they had sent a thank-you, they might have had a positive impact on their application.

Not trying to criticize anyone because of how they were raised or anything--I think that's refreshing. It's great if you want to--go right ahead! 🙂

 

[EqSci]

I agree with everyone else. If you want to send them just because you think it'll look good, then I wouldn't bother. If, like me, you want to send them because you truly appreciate the time they took to interview you, then go for it! You can't ever say thank you too much. It's probably a little dorky, but I like to think that perhaps one of my interviewers was having a bad day and they received my thank-you note in the mail and it made them smile. My parents were both managers and they always tell me stories of how a simple thank you could change their whole day around.

Anyway, as far as the OP's question - I sent my thank you's to the admissions office but with the specific interviewer's name on it. If you are unsure of which address to send it to, just call and ask!

 

[DVMorBust]

Sure, do what you want to do--but the OP was asking who they "should" send thank-you notes to. In which case, the answer would be "send them to whomever you want to."

I think the above is good information to keep in mind if affecting their application was the OP's original intent. Also good to keep in mind for those who were interviewed a while ago and are now freaking out because they didn't send thank-you notes, or those who have already been rejected/wait-listed and might be reading this thread and be scared if they had sent a thank-you, they might have had a positive impact on their application.

Agreed - no one should freak out if they didn't send thank-you notes!

It did seem to me, though, that the OP was planning on sending them and just wondered who to send them to, not that they were trying to decide whether or not to send them. Sorry for any confusion!

 

[No Imagination]

So... showing up at their house Sunday morning with bagels... bad idea?

Like the others said, thank you notes are a bit to much like bagels IMO. If you must do it, (I do silly things because I know my mother would slap me if I didn't), do it after the decisions have been finalized.

 

[RazorDoc2010]

When I was an applicant, I too was on the fence about thank-you notes. Now that I'm in school and know a couple of interviewres personally, I understand why they're not generally recommended.

Firstly, there's exactly the point about volume that WhtstheFrequency brought up. Second, it's pretty pointless, as interviewers don't even have access to your file after the interview date.

could be different at some schools, but I highly doubt it--or at least highly doubt they have access to your file 3-10 business days afterwards.

I remember when I applied that Missouri tells you straight-up, "Do NOT send thank-you notes." K-state never said NOT to, so I did and Dr. Payne (the parasitology prof) sent me a thank-you for my thank-you. I certainly wasn't expecting that!

And when I decided to attend Missouri, I enclosed a note to each school I was turning down saying that I appreciated them considering me and the like. Looking back on it, I'm still glad I sent those...you never know when something like that will help you later on.

 

[gex2006]

Thank you for all of the input. I had no idea such a topic would garner such debate 🙂. I was also raised to write thank you notes for everything. I am not doing it to influence my application in any way, just showing my appreciation for the interview and time they took with me. I think I will end up sending it to the admissions department in general and mention the names of the interviewers because I have no idea what I would say to each interviewer individually.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

So... showing up at their house Sunday morning with bagels... bad idea?

You can show up to MY house with bagels....good idea! 😉