General Etiquette > All In A Day's Work

Thank you notes for grad school recommendations?

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audrey11:
Is it customary to write thank you notes to professors who have written recommendation letters?  I asked three of my undergraduate professors to write 2 recommendation letters each for the graduate schools I am applying to.  Just want to do the right thing.

Clara Bow:
I think that that would be nice. My father is a professor and he's often gotten small gifts or thank yous from students he's helped get into grad programs and it always makes an impression on him.

thebadchemist:
Yes.

I didn't do it.  :-[ Having written recs myself for former students, I can tell you that it takes a bit of time to do it with care. I definitely regret not thanking my instructors for their time.

ShadesOfGrey:
Absolutely.  Handwritten thank you's are the way to go! The profs also love it when you keep them updated about your progress through grad school too (not every semester, but maybe an update halfway through or when something specifically reminded you of them)   "I found XXX difficult, but am working through it.  That huge paper I was complaining about all senior year actually prepared me for XXX."  I personally even plan to send them a note when I graduate (finally!)

This also goes for professionals who may have written you a recommendation...

Lisbeth:
Even if it's not customary, it's an excellent idea.

After all, the recommender took time out of his/her life to write the recommendation, and it could make the difference between getting accepted or rejected.

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