Thank you Notes - To send or not to send

[JamesOSU]

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Hi all -

I've been raised with a large emphasis on networking and people-people relationships getting you places in life. My mom always made me write thank you notes for anything and everything. I wrote them after a meeting with the dean @ Ohio State and received a full ride scholarship (my mom swears the thank you note did it), and one after all my job interviews in this year between undergrad/dental school (snagged a great job, too!). After I interviewed at Ohio State Dentistry I wrote thank you notes to my 5 interviewers and my contact in the admissions office, each with a personal connection (something we talked about in the interview).

So my question is this: Do/did you write thank you notes after your interviews? Why? Do you think that it adds anything to application, helps the Adcom remember you, or have a better opinion of you?

For my part, I think 1) It certainly can not hurt, 2) I think a lot of people do it, and being the one who doesn't can hurt you, and 3) I think it shows maturity, and can be a solidifying reminder to an Adcom who just interviewed 10-30 people 3 days ago.

Your thoughts?

 

[Hysteria24]

For my part, I think 1) It certainly can not hurt, 2) I think a lot of people do it, and being the one who doesn't can hurt you, and 3) I think it shows maturity, and can be a solidifying reminder to an Adcom who just interviewed 10-30 people 3 days ago.

There are many many threads on this topic. What you said above is basically my view on the issue and what I write every time this topic comes up. It can't hurt and I needed any extra edge possible when I was applying.

 

[Kokugeka Shiro]

Maybe it's a nice gesture, but I can't really see it helping your chances. Bottom line is they want to take the best candidates, not the best suck ups.

Saying that 'a lot of people' send these letters may not be totally accurate. In fact, in my circle of well-qualified, mostly non-sdn pre dental kids, I haven't heard of it.

But if it helps you sleep, go for it.

 

[mamelons]

Maybe it's a nice gesture, but I can't really see it helping your chances. Bottom line is they want to take the best candidates, not the best suck ups.

Saying that 'a lot of people' send these letters may not be totally accurate. In fact, in my circle of well-qualified, mostly non-sdn pre dental kids, I haven't heard of it.

But if it helps you sleep, go for it.

Sending a thank you note does not make you a suck up... it is about being a professional.

 

[Sublimation]

Maybe it's a nice gesture, but I can't really see it helping your chances. Bottom line is they want to take the best candidates, not the best suck ups.

Saying that 'a lot of people' send these letters may not be totally accurate. In fact, in my circle of well-qualified, mostly non-sdn pre dental kids, I haven't heard of it.

But if it helps you sleep, go for it.

Sending a thank you note does not make you a suck up... it is about being a professional.

I would have to agree. My cousin sent out letters when he went in for interviews for residency placement. He had told me not sending a letter looked very unprofessional. Basically u are just thanking them for the oppurtunity. You are not gonna write them a letter telling them how wonderful they are, you will thank them for considering u. And MAKE SURE ITS shorT. If you can send it via email that would be great

 

[Oracle DMD]

thank you notes are good form when applying. it is showing professionalism and also that you really do value the time and effort that was spent on your behalf to be invited and interviewed. not everyone gets an interview so you should be thankful that they took the time to meet w/ you. getting in will change your life. send the freakin' thank you.

 

[achilles2]

Sending a thank you note does not make you a suck up... it is about being a professional.

perhaps you prefer the term sycophant then? Or toady???



serious tho, odds are it can't hurt....a quick thank your or follow up checking to make sure they got anything extra or anything you wanted to add can't hurt....email would be best IMO

 

[Orgodox]

I spoke to someone in admissions at one of my interviews. Most of the time your interviewer ranks you right after your interview and writes his comments so when they get your note a few days later it probably wont do anything. on the other hand the admissions people do like to know who really wants to go to their school and sending a note saying thank you I really liked... I hope to be there next year lets them know this and granted they take the best candidates but maybe you and someone else will have same stats and in February when they are deciding who to send the invitation to your note will be in your file to remind them you really want to go there.

 

[grayzkule]

I sent thank yous to my letter of recommendation people and to my dental job shadowing people......granted I sent them after I was accepted :]

 

[mamelons]

I sent thank yous to my letter of recommendation people and to my dental job shadowing people......granted I sent them after I was accepted :]

I did the same thing.

 

[bjhath]

Regardless of whether it helps your application or not, it is mature/professional/proper etiquette to send a thank you note after an interview. It's not ass kissing or brown nosing, just good form.

Personally, I have enjoyed the thank you notes I received after giving a gift, putting on an event, or interviewing an applicant. I imagine other people enjoy receiving them as well. It only takes a few minutes to write and can put a smile on the recipient's face!

I feel good about sending it, they feel good receiving it, so it's a win-win situation. And, on the off chance that it goes into your file, there is the possibility it could help!

 

[Doctor Pretty]

To the people who send thank you letters: Do you guys just write one personal, generic letter, and just change the name and send it to the diffrernt interviewers and schools?

 

[OMFS08]

Yes. Sending thank you letters are very useful and actually most students do not do this. Only the informed ones do. (may not be an accurate statement but it is from my experience). I sent a thank you letter and got a personal response from the DEAN himself hahahah so yes it does work!

 

[bjhath]

To the people who send thank you letters: Do you guys just write one personal, generic letter, and just change the name and send it to the diffrernt interviewers and schools?

I change it from person to person, but it typically follows the same general format:

Dear X,

Thank you for taking the time to xxx. I really enjoyed talking to you about some specific thing. I found it really interesting that xxx. I look forward to the possibility of attending xxx. Thanks again. Sincerely, bjhath

I sent a thank you letter and got a personal response from the DEAN himself hahahah so yes it does work!

I had the same experience. I wrote a thank you letter after an event and got a personal (hand written) motivational response from the Dean. When I later updated him with my application progress and DAT scores, he responded with, "I expect you to get an interview...if you don't hear from us by the end of September, please contact me."

I think people often underestimate the potential influence of thank you notes.

 

[OMFS08]

I change it from person to person, but it typically follows the same general format:

Dear X,

Thank you for taking the time to xxx. I really enjoyed talking to you about some specific thing. I found it really interesting that xxx. I look forward to the possibility of attending xxx. Thanks again. Sincerely, bjhath



I had the same experience. I wrote a thank you letter after an event and got a personal (hand written) motivational response from the Dean. When I later updated him with my application progress and DAT scores, he responded with, "I expect you to get an interview...if you don't hear from us by the end of September, please contact me."

I think people often underestimate the potential influence of thank you notes.

The letter I got from the dean was motivational as well. I really felt I had a leg up on other interviewees who did not think of writing a letter.

 

[dc0617]

I sent thank you notes to all my interviewers too, but when I interviewed at OSU I did not write five separate letters, I wrote one to the admissions director thanking her for the opportunity to interview at the school and for organizing the interview event.

We had an admissions counselor from Case talk at our school about the app process and he said "you get evaluated from the moment you call to inquire about the school to the moment they receive your thank you note after the interview- and you better send a thank you note"

It couldn't be clearer, send the thank you note

 

[MNHopefull]

Ah..I wish I had read this a couple of days before. I sent a thank you note but it was via email. Its better than most people, but I wish I had sent it through snail mail. Shucks!

 

[RSamR20]

Hey buddy don't beat yourself up. I was told by some admissions reps (dean including) that e-mails are much more preferable! Remember the admissions crowd will all be overwhelmed with work right now and so convenience makes a big difference to them.

Keep your head up!

 

[dent2009]

IMO, i don't think interviewers/adcoms care whether you write a letter or an email. What's a big mistake is to not write one at all!!! A letter has that professional touch, but everyone is used to using email these days that I don't think it comes off as being UNprofessional.

 

[IhaveUFOpics]

I think it's a nice gesture, but to the op, you know as well as I that schools such as osu have their formula and thank you notes does not factor into that. Anyways, I'll see you in a few months.

 

[Contach]

I think it's a nice gesture, but to the op, you know as well as I that schools such as osu have their formula and thank you notes does not factor into that. Anyways, I'll see you in a few months.

or that's what they want you to think...

 

[JamesOSU]

I think it's a nice gesture, but to the op, you know as well as I that schools such as osu have their formula and thank you notes does not factor into that. Anyways, I'll see you in a few months.

Yes, I'm become very familiar with the way OSU evaluates people to get the interview. It's all numbers there, so in the year I was a reapplicant I knew just which numbers I could change to get the most out of it (and it worked!). I was in close contact with Sarah Smith throughout the last year and a half as a re-applicant so I wrote her a personal one just thanking her for all her help. She saw me at the interview and was really excited I was doing so well.

But yes, good point. In that case I think my letters to OSU were more etiquette than any real boost to my chances, but other schools they may make a bigger difference. See you in September!

 

[Jake8]

3 Interviews
Sent out thank you note to 2 of them
Accepted to the one I didn't send a thank you note to
Waitlisted at 1 I did send the notes to
Denied from other which I went above and beyond to send thank you notes

In the end I guess its a nice touch but not the final straw.

 

[somethinpositiv]

4 pre-Dec. 1st interviews. Thank You Note to one school, e-mail to two schools, nothing to one school. 4/4 accepted.

It won't hurt, you might as well. You don't need to though. The main thing is, if you get rejected, did you do everything you could have done? Whoops, didn't send the thank you note. If you do send it and you get rejected, you can safely say that you did everything you could do, but they just weren't that into you.