Should the inteview thank you note focus on your interviewer and praise them?

[658809]

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Should an interview thank you note focus on the interviewer and praise them and the school? How many references should you make to yourself and your interest in the school without seeming like a self-obsessed applicant? Should you make references to questions that you were asked in the interview in the thank-you card?

 

[Doug Underhill]

Interview thank-you notes are not forms to fill out in a predetermined way to increase your chances of admission.

 

[658809]

Interview thank-you notes are not forms to fill out in a predetermined way to increase your chances of admission.

So, your advice for improvement or writing such a thank-you note is?

 

[Doug Underhill]

Speak from the heart. If you genuinely want to express gratitude, do so. Otherwise, don't fill up the adcom's desk with junk mail.

 

[Deranged Medic]

Most adcoms have stated post-interview thank you notes will not influence the admissions process, and they often arrive after the interviewer has written up all of their notes regarding your interview. That being said, I'm a bit old fashioned and a big fan of handwritten thank you notes. I sent notes thanking my interviewers for their time and re-emphasizing my desire to attend their school. I would say short, sweet, and to the point would probably be best.

 

[RedPhys]

Keep it brief.
Keep it original and genuine.
Keep it real.

 

[Goro]

Kissing their ass isn't going to get you an accept.

Just be polite and thank them. Frankly, I thorw away written thank you notes, but perversely, send a "thanks" to thank you emails.

Should an interview thank you note focus on the interviewer and praise them and the school? How many references should you make to yourself and your interest in the school without seeming like a self-obsessed applicant? Should you make references to questions that you were asked in the interview in the thank-you card?

 

[justadream]

Kissing their ass isn't going to get you an accept.

Just be polite and thank them. Frankly, I thorw away written thank you notes, but perversely, send a "thanks" to thank you emails.

Besides just general courtesy, does sending thank you notes even affect your chance of admission (assuming you don't say something that is a red flag)?

I was under the impression that it was just the polite thing to do - not that you should expect any boost in chances.

 

[Goro]

Nope. My colleagues and I submit our recommendations within a few hrs after the interview. By the time someone sends a thank you note by snail mail, the AdCom decision may have already been made .

Do people really think that in the middle of the meeting when we're discussing candidate John Doe that one of us we'll say "we have to admit this guy...he sent me a nice thank you note"?

Besides just general courtesy, does sending thank you notes even affect your chance of admission (assuming you don't say something that is a red flag)?

I was under the impression that it was just the polite thing to do - not that you should expect any boost in chances.

 

[gyngyn]

Should an interview thank you note focus on the interviewer and praise them and the school? How many references should you make to yourself and your interest in the school without seeming like a self-obsessed applicant? Should you make references to questions that you were asked in the interview in the thank-you card?

I would find this creepy.

 

[tima]

I feel OP had a poor choice of words by using "praise them."

Keep it brief.
Keep it original and genuine.
Keep it real.

Keep it professional. No praising.

 

[658809]

Thank you so much for the help. My confusion stems from the fact that when I looked up how to write interview thank you notes, the answers that I got really emphasized thanking the interviewer, emphasizing how much how I am passionate about admission/position/school, bringing up useful points from the interview, etc...all this, while seeming useful and in good intention to me, seems to be a bit excessive in some aspects.

I would simply like a way to express my gratitude and interest in the school (because it IS sincere!!) without leaving a bad "after-taste" in someone's thoughts!!!

 

[658809]

Nope. My colleagues and I submit our recommendations within a few hrs after the interview. By the time someone sends a thank you note by snail mail, the AdCom decision may have already been made .

Do people really think that in the middle of the meeting when we're discussing candidate John Doe that one of us we'll say "we have to admit this guy...he sent me a nice thank you note"?

Do "thank you" cards ever help with waitlisted applicants?

 

[gyngyn]

Do "thank you" cards ever help with waitlisted applicants?

No.

 

[658809]

Also, are e-mails less polite??
That is, are cards or e-mails sent to say "thank you" weighted any differently?

 

[gyngyn]

Also, are e-mails less polite??
That is, are cards or e-mails sent to say "thank you" weighted any differently?

If "thank you's" are accepted they are only for you (and for the recipient, if they like them) without regard to the manner in which they are sent.

 

[658809]

No.

Really????? I have been told by a professor that they do? That when it is time to make a decision on a waitlisted applicant, the one that has sent in a thank you is looked at more favorably if all other qualifications are very closely competitive?

 

[gyngyn]

Really????? I have been told by a professor that they do? That when it is time to make a decision on a waitlisted applicant, the one that has sent in a thank you is looked at more favorably if all other qualifications are very closely competitive?

This would not be consistent with my experience in medical school admissions.

I have seen "thank you"s hurt in residency rankings, though. A thank you intended for another program was accidentally placed in the wrong envelope (promising to rank them #1). Another one made improper overtures in return for a higher ranking...

 

[Goro]

You are way too overthinking this.

Also, are e-mails less polite??
That is, are cards or e-mails sent to say "thank you" weighted any differently?

Was this person an Adcom member at a medical school? Our Dean does the pulling of names off the wait list, and he could care less about thank yous. I suspect that the professor was pulling your leg.

Really????? I have been told by a professor that they do? That when it is time to make a decision on a waitlisted applicant, the one that has sent in a thank you is looked at more favorably if all other qualifications are very closely competitive?

 

[658809]

This would not be consistent with my experience in medical school admissions.

I have seen "thank you"s hurt in residency rankings, though. A thank you intended for another program was accidentally placed in the wrong envelope (promising to rank them #1). Another one made improper overtures in return for a higher ranking...

Being tha tyou are "physician" and "faculty," I would like to ask another, more specific question, please: In an interview, I was asked a very precise question about a research process I was a part of and accidently answered incorrectly because 1) it had been a while ago and I couldn't quite remember all of the steps I had done; 2) my mind was still boggy at the beginning of the interview. Those aren't very good excuses, but I could tell that the faculty interviewer was less than impressed by my answer. In wanting to relay a good response to this interviewer, even after the interview (at which point I recognize that my answer won't really sway decisions, I just want to leave a good answer!!!), would it be okay to send an e-mail where I thank them, say that I appreciated that question, and want to correct my response to "your great question?"

Thank you!!!

 

[gyngyn]

Being tha tyou are "physician" and "faculty," I would like to ask another, more specific question, please: In an interview, I was asked a very precise question about a research process I was a part of and accidently answered incorrectly because 1) it had been a while ago and I couldn't quite remember all of the steps I had done; 2) my mind was still boggy at the beginning of the interview. Those aren't very good excuses, but I could tell that the faculty interviewer was less than impressed by my answer. In wanting to relay a good response to this interviewer, even after the interview (at which point I recognize that my answer won't really sway decisions, I just want to leave a good answer!!!), would it be okay to send an e-mail where I thank them, say that I appreciated that question, and want to correct my response to "your great question?"

Thank you!!!

A "thank you" loses all value (as an appreciation to the interviewer) when it is a thinly veiled attempt to give a better answer.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Being tha tyou are "physician" and "faculty," I would like to ask another, more specific question, please: In an interview, I was asked a very precise question about a research process I was a part of and accidently answered incorrectly because 1) it had been a while ago and I couldn't quite remember all of the steps I had done; 2) my mind was still boggy at the beginning of the interview. Those aren't very good excuses, but I could tell that the faculty interviewer was less than impressed by my answer. In wanting to relay a good response to this interviewer, even after the interview (at which point I recognize that my answer won't really sway decisions, I just want to leave a good answer!!!), would it be okay to send an e-mail where I thank them, say that I appreciated that question, and want to correct my response to "your great question?"

Thank you!!!

You seem to be missing the point of an interview. The time to do a refresher on your research would be before the interview, not after.

 

[partypantss]

Should an interview thank you note focus on the interviewer and praise them and the school? How many references should you make to yourself and your interest in the school without seeming like a self-obsessed applicant? Should you make references to questions that you were asked in the interview in the thank-you card?

Thank you notes in no way will help you in the admissions process. The person who interviewed you will likely have already written up the form about you and given it to the committee before they see your note, so the idea of it even possibly giving them a nice impression and that in turn making them give you a better write up is probably not going to happen. I think this day and age, it certainly does not have be be a physical letter.. there's no reason not to just send an email if you are genuinely interested in thanking them.. Perhaps it could be good in the long run, when you are a medical student at that school, to have the faculty member like you? That is the only actual "advantage" I can possibly see to sending a thank you note. I did it for my one interview that I have had so far just because my interviewer was a nice guy and I also think giving good impressions is important in life in general.