Thank you notes to interviewers?

[Qwerty85]

For those of you who have interviewed this year, have you guys sent your interviewers thank you notes? Opinions anyone?

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[goldnretrivrgrl]

I interviewed at Penn and so did my friend. She sent thank you emails to her interviewers and I did not. We were both accepted so I'm not sure it matters. Obviously, I thanked my interviewers profusely when the interview was over but didn't really feel it was necessary to send them another message expressing my gratitude. I guess it's up to you, although I did hear that some schools don't encourage it.

 

[TomTheK9Fixr]

I thanked them after the interview. IMO to send a thank you card or email is brown-nosing, but that's just me.

 

[pennyonthefloor]

I sent thank you cards to those that wrote letters of recommendation, the head of my Masters program who gave me a letter of support and those that interviewed me. Can be viewed as brown-nosing but I don't see it as such.

I feel that people in this world don't receive enough thank-yous for the things that they do... Personally, it means a lot for me to have people support me as much as they do (those that wrote letters of rec) and at times I know they don't realize what a huge impact that they have on my life.... I like letting people know that they are appreciated.

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

Oh, I definitely wrote thank yous to my eLOR writers. I couldn't have done this without them- the one veterinarian let me start shadowing when I was 12! Who lets a little kid come into their clinic like that?! =) =) =) I thought the thread was just about interviewers.

 

[Cautionary Tail]

I also felt like sending thank you notes to my interviewers might look a little brown-nosey, so I didn't do it. I thanked them at the time, and thought that anything more might seem excessive and less than genuine. I ended up on the waitlist, but decisions came back before the mail would've reached them anyway, so, alas, I can't blame the lack of a thank you. 😉

I did, however, deliver trays of baked goods (with thank you cards) to those who provided LORs. Not sure what I'll do if I get in, but an extra special thank you will be in order if so.

 

[cowgirla]

I did not for most of my interviews.
At PEI, we had a lunch with the dean before the interview and spent a lot of time with him, so I did send him a thank you email at the recommendation of an upperclassman that i know there. She told me they really look for those thank yous there, but I think thats the exception rather than the rule!

 

[pennyonthefloor]

I thought the thread was just about interviewers.

Sorry... couldn't resist. Sometimes I go off on tangents.... 🙂

 

[Horsingaround31]

ISU actually provided the full names of your interviewers, as well as an address for sending thank yous. I was already planning on sending thank yous, though, because I've always sent a thank you of some kind when I've interviewed for a job and I felt like my vet school interviewers were kind of like the most important job interviews of my life! I kept it short and sweet -- no frills or kissing up!

That said, I can't imagine they help or hinder the final decision.

 

[squibby]

One of the student ambassadors at KSU told a few of us that we should send thank-you cards to our interviewers. A vet she worked with used to be on the adcomm, and he was one of my interviewers, told her that when he was on the adcomm, if an applicant didn't send a thank-you they would just throw out their application. Sound a bit drastic, but that's what she said.
I sent one to my interviewers at KSU, and was rejected. I didn't send one to my interviewers at OSU, and got in. I literally had to rush my cards to Kansas to get it to them before a decision would be made. At Ohio I wouldn't have even had time to get it there, they made their decision so quickly.

 

[Artery]

I was interviewed at Tufts for the class of 2015, and since it was around Christmas time, I thought it would be a nice gesture to write them cards thanking them and also wishing them happy holidays. Not a big deal if you don't...I'm sure most people don't even think about it. But I would assume it shows that you're very interested in the school.

I feel that people in this world don't receive enough thank-yous for the things that they do...

I also agree with this.

 

[lareinesoleil]

I did not, for two reasons.
(a) They did like 100-150 interviews over a 3 day period. Can you imagine getting 150 thank you notes pretty much all at the same time?
(b) I couldn't remember everyone's name (man this sounds terrible, but I attribute it to nerves).

I did thank them in person, though, when I shook everybody's hand on my way out of the interview room.

However, if your school is one of the ones that "requires" it, then definitely do it.

 

[l2vet]

I did not, for two reasons.
(a) They did like 100-150 interviews over a 3 day period. Can you imagine getting 150 thank you notes pretty much all at the same time?
(b) I couldn't remember everyone's name (man this sounds terrible, but I attribute it to nerves).

I did thank them in person, though, when I shook everybody's hand on my way out of the interview room.

However, if your school is one of the ones that "requires" it, then definitely do it.

Same here, OSU did 2 weeks of like 30-40 interviews/day. I also didn't have any kind of address for my interviewers (one was a retired outside vet, so no campus mail) and I couldn't hardly say the other's name, much less spell it (and I don't think she was employed by OSU either). I was told that if you really wanted to, you can always send a thank you to the admissions department (either addressed to your specific interviewers or the committee in general), but that it was most important to thank your interviewers directly and confidently before you left the room.

 

[breenie]

Purdue instructed us NOT to thank/contact our interviewers, if I remember right. Or maybe it was Mizzou. I'm pretty sure it was PU.

I didn't send notes to either, and got into Mizzou. Still waiting on PU. 🙂

 

[sumstorm]

I always send thank you notes for interviews. but I'm a bit older than the typical student and it may be a difference in regional/generational attitudes.

 

[libster06]

(b) I couldn't remember everyone's name (man this sounds terrible, but I attribute it to nerves).

I did thank them in person, though, when I shook everybody's hand on my way out of the interview room.

However, if your school is one of the ones that "requires" it, then definitely do it.

Exactly. I only interviewed at 1 school (I declined an interview after I made my decision, and I didn't have to inter. for LSU) but the panel was not really affiliated with the school. They didn't give any contact information about the people, so unless I had written it down on my hand (which might have seemed REALLY awkward, and possibly hindered my chances from then on) there wasn't much way for me to know who they were.

If it's common practice where you are, do it. Otherwise, profuse during-the-interview-or-immediately-after thankyou's will probably suffice.

 

[libster06]

Oh, I almost forgot to mention- I got accepted to the school that I interviewed.

 

[New Foundland]

i can't believe people would consider this. 😕

it's great that you're overjoyed about getting in, but uncalled for thank-you cards in this circumstance are patronizing.
Avoid it, please.

if somebody went out of their way to do things to help you get in to vet school, sure you could argue that they deserved to be thanked..
Perhaps if you missed a flight or were late and the interviewers were understanding about it, then that could potentially be different. But for the standard scenario, just don't even consider it.

Interviewers, as nice and friendly as some may be, have a job and that job is to mark you on your interview in a relatively unbiased fashion. They didn't do you a favour just because you ended up having a higher rank than the other applicants. Nor did they spite the students who were interviewed but unsuccessful.

you might as well go back to the GRE testing center and give the proctor a thank-you note.

come on, this is ridiculous. I would actually be a bit insulted by thank-you notes if I were on an ad-com. They are suggestive, in a bad way.

 

[squibby]

come on, this is ridiculous. I would actually be a bit insulted by thank-you notes if I were on an ad-com. They are suggestive, in a bad way.

Did you read my post below about KSU?

Are you an ad-com? Then don't give opinions as if you know how they feel.

 

[Artery]

you might as well go back to the GRE testing center and give the proctor a thank-you note.

I would like to politely disagree with this... I think if you choose not to write a thank you card, that's up to you. But if you do, it doesn't necessarily "patronize" the person you do it for. If they find it offensive, they have a problem. It's simply a nice gesture. And people DO write thank you notes for people who are just doing their jobs...i.e. postal worker during the holidays, school bus drivers, teachers, etc.
It's all about their hospitality and kindness during the interview...they could have easily just have been stoic and apathetic (yet doing their jobs of interviewing you competently).

 

[EllieGirl89]

How on earth is it "suggestive" to thank somebody for taking the time to interview you and let them know you appreciated it?

I didn't send thank-you notes to my interviewers but that's only because I couldn't remember the name of the second one and I didn't want to send a note to just one of them. The interviewers put a lot of time and effort into assessing the candidates, and I for one was VERY appreciative of that. We thank them when we walk out of the interview room (at least I HOPE we do), so what is wrong with sending a little note that says "I really enjoyed seeing Such And Such CVM, and I greatly appreciate your time"?

Obviously, I didn't send thank you notes and I got in just fine. But I certainly would hope that they wouldn't think poorly of a student who sent a courteous, sincere letter expressing appreciation for their time and effort.

 

[New Foundland]

Did you read my post below about KSU?

Are you an ad-com? Then don't give opinions as if you know how they feel.

Sorry to hear that KSU has a vain and corrupt ad com. Glad I don't have to experience that.

 

[sumstorm]

I don't understand what is wrong with thanking someone for taking time to give you consideration.

Yes, it is part of their job, possibly. In some schools the ad-comms volunteer for some of these roles, and I bet most of them are doing a lot of extra work to participate in the admissions process.

I'm not thanking them for how they evaluated me, but for spending valuable time to consider me.

 

[pennyonthefloor]

From working with cvm faculty, I know that some of the interviewers expect thank yous. It is a major time commitment and many faculty choose not to do interviews because of said time commitments.

You send thank yous after job interviews... why not for vet school interviews?

 

[breenie]

Dang, guys, when did this forum get so hostile?

 

[Coquette22]

I sent a thank you email to AVC after my interview. Nothing really over the top, just a quick "Thanks for being so nice, I really enjoyed meeting you all". Wasn't trying to brown nose, just honestly wanted to let them know. They were all amazingly nice and tried to make the whole thing as comfortable as possible, so I wanted to give credit where it was due.

 

[squibby]

I think we all agree that one person on here is way off the mark. I hope that future applicants who might look on this thread don't read that poor advice.

Peace out, I'm on to other threads.

 

[sumstorm]

Sorry to hear that KSU has a vain and corrupt ad com. Glad I don't have to experience that.

You are seriously suggesting that an entire vet school admissions committee is vain and corrupt? Interesting attitude towards future collegues.

 

[New Foundland]

You are seriously suggesting that an entire vet school admissions committee is vain and corrupt? Interesting attitude towards future collegues.

huh?
it's not an "attitude towards future colleagues", it's an attitude towards alleged unethical and discriminatory admissions procedures by one ad-com, and nothing more.

I don't buy that it's exactly true, since it was anecdotal. But if it was, then yeah of course it'd be vain and corrupt of an ad-com to discriminate against those who didn't send a thank-you letter for whatever reason.
What a joke that would be, for a school to blindly turn down applicants over the lack of some trivial oxford pleasantry.

 

[sumstorm]

huh?
it's not an "attitude towards future colleagues", it's an attitude towards alleged unethical and discriminatory admissions procedures by one ad-com, and nothing more.

I don't buy that it's exactly true, since it was anecdotal. But if it was, then yeah of course it'd be vain and corrupt of an ad-com to discriminate against those who didn't send a thank-you letter for whatever reason.
What a joke that would be, for a school to blindly turn down applicants over the lack of some trivial oxford pleasantry.

Since I doubt anyone makes admissions decisions completly on their own, it doens't make sense to say one person is corrupt if they are ruling people out on a false criteria; the committee had to agree to it.

What is trivial to some are grounds for termination for others. I know an associate vet that lost her job over failure to send out TY notes to new clients (she was given a couple of warnings.) Lots of things are trivial in some folks minds and crucial in others.

I am obviously not an ad com, but I did use whether or not an applicant followed up as part of the criteria for determining internship positions, whether that follow up was an additional call, visit, note, or email. Why? because folks that went the extra step to get the internship generally went the extra step in the internship. I didn't care if the follow up was a thank you or not. Actually, the best ones I received were those that gave more info about some topic we had discussed during the interview. Present behavior is often a good predictor of future behavior.

 

[New Foundland]

Since I doubt anyone makes admissions decisions completly on their own, it doens't make sense to say one person is corrupt if they are ruling people out on a false criteria; the committee had to agree to it.

What is trivial to some are grounds for termination for others. I know an associate vet that lost her job over failure to send out TY notes to new clients (she was given a couple of warnings.) Lots of things are trivial in some folks minds and crucial in others.

I am obviously not an ad com, but I did use whether or not an applicant followed up as part of the criteria for determining internship positions, whether that follow up was an additional call, visit, note, or email. Why? because folks that went the extra step to get the internship generally went the extra step in the internship. I didn't care if the follow up was a thank you or not. Actually, the best ones I received were those that gave more info about some topic we had discussed during the interview. Present behavior is often a good predictor of future behavior.

I never said one person was corrupt, i talked only about the collective admissions committee in question (and of course it's based on unproven statements so the stones i cast are conditional upon the truth of the allegations)

following up on a job or internship opportunity is completely different in my eyes. I expect schools to have procedures and policies in place to eliminate favouritism and discrimination as best they can.

I would expect a very high level of integrity from an admissions committee. And (at least on paper) it looks like the canadian schools I have researched meet that level of integrity in how they choose applicants.

 

[sunnyshine]

When did this thread, which was originally a discussion about a simple issue, turn into an all out hostile debate? I have sent a thank you note to every person who took the time to interview with me for a potential position at a veterinary school because I feel that it is just a polite thing to do. However, that is just my opinion and if you don't want to send a letter, for whatever reason, that's fine as well. I doubt very highly that any admissions committee would toss an applicant's file out just because they didn't get a thank you letter. After calculating in the GRE scores, multiple GPAs, interview scores, and other sections of an applicants file I somehow feel that the thank-you note, while a possibly good gesture, would have little to no effect on an applicants success. Chill out people - it's just a letter!

 

[Alisa]

I e-mailed my interviewers a thank you note just because I think it is good manners and polite to do so. It’s what you would do when you interview for a job, why should school be any different (like someone said before me). But then again I'm older and the age gap can account for the difference in attitude 🙂

 

[l2vet]

I e-mailed my interviewers a thank you note just because I think it is good manners and polite to do so. It's what you would do when you interview for a job, why should school be any different (like someone said before me). But then again I'm older and the age gap can account for the difference in attitude 🙂

I'm sorry, and I'm not aiming this specifically at you, but it really irks me when people assume or think somehow that my generation (I'm 21) is unable to be polite, or doesn't have the same "standards" as the generation before us. It really, really bugs me. I do my very very best to be respectful, polite, and mature. For instance, if I could have at all sent a note, I would have. I had no contact information for either of the vets that interviewed me, and since 1 was retired and not employed by OSU, I felt it would be more rude to send a note to one than to not send one at all.

I just wish people would have a little more faith in this generation. Perhaps that's just what a lot of our peers need...

/rant.

 

[zumazoom]

Purdue instructed us NOT to thank/contact our interviewers, if I remember right. Or maybe it was Mizzou. I'm pretty sure it was PU.

I didn't send notes to either, and got into Mizzou. Still waiting on PU. 🙂

It was actually Mizzou that told us explicitly NOT to send thank-you letters.

And we are oddly in similar positions... I was also accepted into Mizzou and just got accepted into PU. I did send my interviewers at PU thank-you letters.

 

[thedogisgreen]

I'm sorry, and I'm not aiming this specifically at you, but it really irks me when people assume or think somehow that my generation (I'm 21) is unable to be polite, or doesn't have the same "standards" as the generation before us. It really, really bugs me. I do my very very best to be respectful, polite, and mature. For instance, if I could have at all sent a note, I would have. I had no contact information for either of the vets that interviewed me, and since 1 was retired and not employed by OSU, I felt it would be more rude to send a note to one than to not send one at all.

I just wish people would have a little more faith in this generation. Perhaps that's just what a lot of our peers need...

/rant.

Agreed. I think that some of our generation does tend to be less respectful or have different cultural, etc standards, but in no way should that be generalized to represent all of us. Yeah, I constantly see pre-teens now and am quite disgusted by how they dress and are spoiled with technology compared with how it was ten years ago, so I can see how older generations could see us as having different standards... but generalizations are generalizations and people have to be seen as individuals. I think most/all of us on here would be in the category of being more mature simply because of the nature of the field we are pursuing, as opposed to people who haven't had the background or motivation to go for further education.
ok done being all.. whatever i was just doing. 😀

 

[breenie]

It was actually Mizzou that told us explicitly NOT to send thank-you letters.

And we are oddly in similar positions... I was also accepted into Mizzou and just got accepted into PU. I did send my interviewers at PU thank-you letters.

Oh thanks! You're right. I was rightfully unsure. 🙂 I haven't heard from PU yet, but I'm 99% sure I'm going to go to Mizzou. Are you doing the same?

 

[libster06]

Dang, guys, when did this forum get so hostile?

It's been like that ever since I joined.... people are rude.

 

[168135]

It's all about their hospitality and kindness during the interview...they could have easily just have been stoic and apathetic (yet doing their jobs of interviewing you competently).

Yes, but you build relationships with these people over the course of a school year or several years. You see interviewers once (unless you've applied to the same school 10 times and had the same interviewers 10 times). Would you send a thank you note to the person who interviewed you for a job, whether it be a fast-food job or for something more prestigious, like a vet at a clinic for instance.

I kind of agree with the fact that if all 100+ applicants sent a thank-you note, it's a little over the top.

But, it's nice to get a heads up as to what is appropriate at PEI. PEI gets a lot less applicants than schools in the states. By the sounds of it, they jump through hurtles to accomendate those who are granted an interview. I could be wrong, but at what other vet school do you have lunch with the dean(?)/interviewers? It's not like 100 applicants are having lunch with the dean/interviewers. It's like 3 people and the staff take the time to get to know you on a more personal level. I think in that circumstance, a thank you note is appropriate.

Also, it may be appropriate to give thank you notes to interviewers from international schools who make arrangements to meet you and interview you.

That's just my 2 cents.

But I never interviewed in the states or interviewed with an international school, so I'm kind of biased.

 

[KodaBear]

One of the student ambassadors at KSU told a few of us that we should send thank-you cards to our interviewers. A vet she worked with used to be on the adcomm, and he was one of my interviewers, told her that when he was on the adcomm, if an applicant didn't send a thank-you they would just throw out their application. Sound a bit drastic, but that's what she said.
I sent one to my interviewers at KSU, and was rejected. I didn't send one to my interviewers at OSU, and got in. I literally had to rush my cards to Kansas to get it to them before a decision would be made. At Ohio I wouldn't have even had time to get it there, they made their decision so quickly.

That's funny Squibby, my student ambassador at KSU told us not to write thank you notes, because they make their decision immediately (as soon as you walk out the door they discuss and give you a number/grade), so thank you cards can't impact your decision.

 

[nyanko]

Faculty members at universities usually have some sort of "service" requirement to sit on one committee or another. Admissions committee is probably one of the more time consuming ones, but in most cases I wouldn't really say it's exactly "volunteer" so much as it counts towards requirements for a prof's academic position and status.

It's probably different for schools that have outside veterinarians and such on the adcoms - I think they're entirely volunteer and that's pretty cool of them. At least here as well, there is an auxiliary "Admissions Advisory" group of faculty and veterinarians who assist the actual decision-making admissions committee in initial review of candidates and such.

They also tend to discourage thank you letters here. I did end up leaving a note in the mailbox of one of my interviewers though because I realized I misspoke on something during my interview and wanted to correct it.

 

[Qwerty85]

A 1st year student who gave a tour where I interviewed mentioned something about making sure to remember thank you notes... Maybe it varies school to school?

 

[kaydubs]

I wrote thank you notes to adcom & my interviewers. I emailed the student liasons & my tour guide. I was raised to say thank you (not being snarky, just I can be over-polite).

Honestly, if the school didn't specify, call and ask. The worst they will say is "WE HATE THANK YOU NOTES!" (I called admissions at Tufts before I sent them out🙂)

 

[jlm179]

I sent a quick thank you e-mail. My interviewer e-mailed me back thanking me for the e-mail. I was born and raised in the South which means thanking people. I couldn't not thank him for taking time in his day. Even if it is his job, a thank you makes them feel like its worth it. I appreciate when customers thank me for my hard work.

 

[168135]

For a competitive vet tech program, I sent a thank you note to one of my interviewers when I declined the acceptance. He said: "Thanks. Usually all I hear are the bitches and moans." Exact words.

 

[kaydubs]

I think we all agree that one person on here is way off the mark. I hope that future applicants who might look on this thread don't read that poor advice.

Peace out, I'm on to other threads.

^This👍 Squibs, you're so right

For a competitive vet tech program, I sent a thank you note to one of my interviewers when I declined the acceptance. He said: "Thanks. Usually all I hear are the bitches and moans." Exact words.

Great point, SH. It's true. In general, I don't think enough people carry out common courtesy like our human population once did. It's all about MEMEMEME rather than, hey you took time that you didn't have to to be a nice person. Even holding the door for someone is admirable today and it shouldn't be.

What happened to being kind to people? Gosh.....

(Anyone still reading this hostility here? I'm not coming off as angry at this thread but upset and disappointed with the current state of affairs in the human race. For the love of all that is good, STOP BEING SO HOSTILE TO YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING. If we can't do that, how are we gonna take care of the rest of the world?) If you decide to send me hate messages, keep 'em coming. Or, own up to your responsibility to someone besides yourself. I try and do just that all the time.

END MINOR RANT

 

[168135]

I admit, I was brown-nosing a little bit in that situation. It is a VERY competitive program and I didn't want them to forget me if I decided to apply again a few years down the road. About 120 people applied and I was one of the 25 accepted. They rarely accept people coming straight from high school (previous year, 5/25 were fresh out of highschool).

Also, at the end of the interview, I was allowed to ask questions, and he went over our time to explain why he chose to go into veterinary medicine and I really appreciated that.

I thanked both of the interviewers and told them it was pleasure meeting them. In most situations, I think that's good enough.

All I have to say about the hostility is that the pre-med forums are WORSE. People were hostile towards me a couple of months ago... I debated leaving the forum... but hey... I don't personally know most of the members, so I'm trying not to get too worked up about it. If someone came up to me and said some of these things to my face, it would be a lot different. I'm thinking that most people would be too afraid to take what they say online and say it face to face somewhere. Actually... I know so. There is one member who peeved me off, and after talking to people who know them in real life, they are harmless.

 

[BlacKAT33]

I did not send thank you cards to anyone who interviewed me. I mean, they interview hundreds of people and if only a few people sent cards it would look like you're trying to get brownie points. If a lot of people sent thank you cards it would be annoying and the secretaries would probably sift through them not the actually interviewers. The only time I would think about sending a thank you card is if it was after the decision was made. Whether it be rejection or acceptance.

Last year I thanked all interviewers after my interview and in the case of Penn I thanked them at the end of the day too (because we were also able to talk with students and other admissions committee people casually throughout the day). Then when I got my acceptance call from my interviewer I thanked him again. And what I think is more important, I remembered my interviewers name and whenever I see him at school we have a short chat about how things are going for both of us. I think he probably appreciates this more than a card. The school that I withdrew from (before the interview) I thanked them in the email that I sent them when I stated I'd like to withdraw my app.

 

[New Foundland]

^This👍 Squibs, you're so right



Great point, SH. It's true. In general, I don't think enough people carry out common courtesy like our human population once did. It's all about MEMEMEME rather than, hey you took time that you didn't have to to be a nice person. Even holding the door for someone is admirable today and it shouldn't be.

What happened to being kind to people? Gosh.....

(Anyone still reading this hostility here? I'm not coming off as angry at this thread but upset and disappointed with the current state of affairs in the human race. For the love of all that is good, STOP BEING SO HOSTILE TO YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING. If we can't do that, how are we gonna take care of the rest of the world?) If you decide to send me hate messages, keep 'em coming. Or, own up to your responsibility to someone besides yourself. I try and do just that all the time.

END MINOR RANT

Adamant disagreement is not hostility.
Some people are not afraid of confronting the ideas of others and voicing uncensored disagreement when they see fit.
I understand that conflict is rarer on this forum than most, but conflict of ideas can be lively and serious without being disrespectful.
If you have purple flowers in your garden that you love, and I go around talking about how I think purple flowers look awful, I may seem "hostile" but I'm really just voicing an uncensored opinion.

I don't know about you, but I have friends that I disagree with strongly on certain issues. They're not hostiles, they're still friends.

 

[nyanko]

^^that is a really good point - so many times disagreeing with somebody here has led to "a bloo bloo why are you being so mean to me 🙁 🙁"

I'm thinking that most people would be too afraid to take what they say online and say it face to face somewhere. Actually... I know so. There is one member who peeved me off, and after talking to people who know them in real life, they are harmless.

I'm not afraid to say anything that I say here to a person's face. 😉