Thank you notes

[maybe]

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Hello all i'm new to the forum, and i'm sure this question exists elsewhere, but
What's the deal with post-interview thank you notes? i had a really great one and it was fun to meet people, esp. other applicants. any tips on what to say?
😛

 

[ShortStuff]

My advisor says hand written mentioning how much you liked some specific aspect of the school and something else personal and memorable about your interview. THe point is to get them to remember you from all the others...

 

[Jadeite]

And you can not send thank-you notes too! I got accepted several places I didn't write a note. (Out of either busy-ness or I didn't write down the interviewers name!)

Thank you notes have nothing to do with your application. I think they're more important if you had an interviewer really go out of their way for you, like take you to a lecture and you want to let them know you appreciated it. Also, at your top-choice school you might want to set up a line of communication in case you get waitlisted. Your interviewer (and you should probably ask for their card) will look more favorably on an April "Please tell me anything I can do to get in!" if there was a nice note in December.

Jade~

 

[paean]

Some schools have unspoken (or in a few cases) spoken expectations that you will write a thank-you, to show that you are serious about your interest in the school. Others don't expect them, and a few discourage them because it can add to the admissions sec'ry's work. But if you click with an interviewer, it never hurts to write one.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with typing a note (nice bond paper is preferable) and limiting the handwriting to my signature. Every personal letter I've ever received from someone professional has been typed. Keep it to one page, unless you are writting a plea that they let you in, and absolutely have to go on to two. Make sure that it is personal, refers to the conversation that you had with your interview, and don't say anything that might obligate your interviewer to respond.

And if you search for threads about thank yous, you'll find a lot.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Originally posted by maybe
i'm sure this question exists elsewhere,

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

I sent a thank you to the interviewers and here's basically what I said.

Thanks for interviewing me, I enjoyed learning about this and that about your school.

Then I brought up key points that I stressed in the interview, and any additional information they might not have (such as updating my application since I said I might TA a class in the interview to I will TA the class).

Lastly, thanks for their time and consideration and looking forward to their outcome.

 

[mvervaine]

where do we send these letters, sorry "notes" to? (god damn old foagues, M.D., who don't use email)
home address (stalker)?
school address (can't find it on google)?
admissions office (purgatory for anything with a stamp on it)?

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

All my notes have been sent to

School Admissions Office
ATTN: Inteviewer's name
1234 Some street or Box number
ANYTOWN, ANYSTATE ZIP

 

[DrM]

I am inclined to believe that thank you notes do nothing for an applicant. (And the possibility exists, although bizarre, that thank you notes could actually hurt you )... Here's why.

All schools that I sent thank you notes to waitlisted me. (3)
All schools that I did not send thank you notes accepted me. (2)

I know that given the sample size there is considerable room for sampling error, however this is still food for thought.
😕

 

[Mike59]

At most schools, the interviewer is out of the picture after they submit their evaluation of you to the adcom. If you had a nice conversation it is a kind gesture, but I doubt thank you notes have any bearing on the admission unless they are directed to the dean.

 

[DrBlueDevil]

I don't think it makes any difference. I sent thank you notes to some schools last year like so many premed sheep do, and now I regret it because they were completely insincere. I got in to schools where I didn't send any thank you notes (and schools where I did). Followup letters make a big difference for waitlists (the dean told me this when he accepted me off the waitlist to my top choice). Followup letters are what really matter.

 

[mvervaine]

Originally posted by DrM
I am inclined to believe that thank you notes do nothing for an applicant. (And the possibility exists, although bizarre, that thank you notes could actually hurt you )... Here's why.

All schools that I sent thank you notes to waitlisted me. (3)
All schools that I did not send thank you notes accepted me. (2)

I know that given the sample size there is considerable room for sampling error, however this is still food for thought.
😕

very interesting...but, have you considered why you wrote thank you notes to some schools and not others? i did it the same way. maybe for the schools that you didn't send thank you notes to, you were subconsciously confident enough about your chances as is and didn't think you needed to make that extra effort...? (your subconsciousness was probably right!) maybe the reverse is true for those schools that you did send thank you notes to...? just speculating here... yikes, by my logic, thank you notes are pretty useless then...🙁