Sending thank you cards?

[emilymuff]

I have come across the suggestion/recommendation of sending your interviewers hand written thank you cards after the interview. Is this a common practice or is it a gesture worth considering? I can see it being considered a thoughtful and polite act, but can also picture some interviewers viewing it as a bribe (kind of a strong word) or a way to butter them up...which maybe is the point?

[lctexas4]

I plan on leaving a thank you card with the receptionist or secretary at my interviews. My advice would to keep it brief and professional..thanking them for their time and the opportunity to learn about their program and that you look forward to hearing from them. That’s really all mine will say. I figure as long as it isn’t too overbearing or emotional then it’ll be fine! Just my two cents. Good luck in your interviews! 

[Bubbles]

I sent thank you notes via e-mail. They are received more quickly than those sent via mail. Leaving them with the receptionist is a good idea, but your letters may not have information from your interview or things you discussed, unless you wrote them after the interviews, which can be time consuming if you have several to write. 

[UGoLong]

I don’t think sending cards matters. Interviewers talk to several applicants a day. A handshake at the end of the interview is enough.


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[rev ronin]

5 hours ago, UGoLong said:

I don’t think sending cards matters. Interviewers talk to several applicants a day. A handshake at the end of the interview is enough.

Mostly, but I also recommend a follow-up letter thanking them for the interview, stating why you think the program is a good fit, and expressing commitment to the program should you be selected.  Assuming all of that's true, of course.

[prepa1997]

13 hours ago, rev ronin said:

Mostly, but I also recommend a follow-up letter thanking them for the interview, stating why you think the program is a good fit, and expressing commitment to the program should you be selected.  Assuming all of that's true, of course.

Rev should this be given at the end of interview or a couple days after the interview 

[rev ronin]

5 hours ago, prepa1997 said:

Rev should this be given at the end of interview or a couple days after the interview 

I usually compose it on the way home from an interview and follow up in about 24 hours--long enough for me to have thought it over well, short enough that I'm still (hopefully) fresh in their minds.

[LER21]

How do you go about finding the correct email/address to send these thank you's to? Especially if any of the interviewers are not faculty members listed on their website (such as a community PA).

[Bubbles]

8 hours ago, LER21 said:

How do you go about finding the correct email/address to send these thank you's to? Especially if any of the interviewers are not faculty members listed on their website (such as a community PA).

In that case, you can email the admissions /enrollment coordinator and request the e-mails you need. 

[panglossian]

I sent handwritten thank you cards, but that's how I was raised. When I worked in undergraduate admissions I really appreciated a thank you note or email. It did not really effect the individual's admission outcome, however, it is a polite gesture. I do not think a thank you note/email will significantly influence the interviewer's decision. 

[rev ronin]

16 hours ago, Bubbles said:

In that case, you can email the admissions /enrollment coordinator and request the e-mails you need. 

Or just email admissions and ask them to pass it along...