Thank you letter vs. email

[pittnative]

I know most people say a handwritten letter is more appropriate for a thank you note to an interviewer, though I have quite a lot to say.

He asked me to let him know how my other interviews went (he knew I had 4 within that week) and what I thought all around about NYC after I'd be spending the rest of the week there, and frankly what I've come up with is about 1 page typed, and who knows how long that'd be handwritten.

I just feel like an email would be much better suited for something like this.

Suggestions?

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[drizzt3117]

I think a physical, typed, but signed letter, perhaps with a handwritten postscript, would be superior to an email but that's just my $0.02.

 

[UCDavisISokay]

or u can send both like me

 

[BXP]

How does one go about getting snail mail addresses? Please share!

 

[drizzt3117]

Ask the admissions office before you leave. Some schools provide them for you.

 

[MassTransport]

You may also ask your interviewer for a business card.

 

[TopDocChick]

I think email is so much better then snail mail.

I hate clutter

 

[Textuality]

Likewise, if I were a doc, I'd rather have an email that I could just delete instead of mail I'd have to open and then trash. I talked to an ex-admissions committee guy who was like "yeah, I wish they wouldn't waste the postage, it doesn't influence my decision, and I just toss them anyways". Then again, he was pretty young, so maybe he's just email happy like us.

 

[drizzt3117]

Yeah, it just depends. If you have an old school interviewer, a letter may be better, but if you have a young interviewer then maybe email would work as well.

 

[midn]

I kind of only wrote one thank you letter because the guy gave me his business card.

I thank them profusely after each interview. Hopefully that is sufficient.

 

[LizzyM]

Last year I recieved 7 e-mail thank yous and about 14 snail mail thank yous. I can't recall how many interviews I conducted but it might have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 40. So, about half of the applicants sent some sort of thank you.

They don't influence me but I do smile when I receive one and realize that some applicants are "well raised" as one Dean of Admissions says.

 

[drizzt3117]

I find the thank you note to be a good way to get a little bit of closure with your final thoughts regarding the interview, and also a way to reinforce your interest in the school as well as being polite by thanking your interviewer. A pretty good investment for half an hour's time and $0.41, IMO.

 

[pittnative]

I find the thank you note to be a good way to get a little bit of closure with your final thoughts regarding the interview, and also a way to reinforce your interest in the school as well as being polite by thanking your interviewer. A pretty good investment for half an hour's time and $0.41, IMO.

This is exactly my goal with this letter, especially cause he asked me to let him know what I thought about the city and about some of the other schools where I had interviews coming up.

I also agreed with the above posts regarding email as the way to go. These interviewers/adcom officers have a lot going on so receiving an email is probably a little easier for them.

Additionally, at some schools you may be presented to the committee within a few days of your interview and if you want to reinforce your interest a letter may not arrive in time...extra food for thought.

 

[drizzt3117]

This is exactly my goal with this letter, especially cause he asked me to let him know what I thought about the city and about some of the other schools where I had interviews coming up.

I also agreed with the above posts regarding email as the way to go. These interviewers/adcom officers have a lot going on so receiving an email is probably a little easier for them.

Additionally, at some schools you may be presented to the committee within a few days of your interview and if you want to reinforce your interest a letter may not arrive in time...extra food for thought.

For an out of town interview, I tend to bring the card with me and write about it when I have a bit of downtime at the airport and drop it in the mail there. That way you get your fresh thoughts after a little bit of post-interview self-analysis on paper, they get it quickly, and it shows your interest (as well as a little bit of pre-med neuroticism) having a local postmark on the letter (if they even notice it)