<p>at our school, a private in NYC, the college counselors tell the kids to write thank you notes soon after the letters have been sent and before they hear from the colleges, as mtnmomma has suggested.</p>
<p>My D wrote thank you notes immediately after the letters were written and then bought mugs in April at her chosen college’s Accepted Students Day for the teachers and GC. They all seemed surprised and pleased at the mugs…I think it just feels nice to be acknowledged.</p>
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I think it’s very nice to give the teachers and GC a note, but I certainly don’t agree that it isn’t the GC’s job to write recs. Every college application has a form for the GC Department to complete. One of their main jobs is getting materials sent out for the senior student applications.</p>
<p>I think a thank you note is fine. Gifts not 'til spring.</p>
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<p>Maybe the GC’s job if you go to a private school where the ratio of students to GC is small. My hs has 1100 students and two GC’s. So here they have to go above and beyond if they are to write anything but the basics. I know they have to do this after work and on the weekends or else there just wouldn’t be enough time.</p>
<p>I totally agree that tokens of appreciation, be it chocolates, gift cards, mugs (nice idea!), etc, should wait until the ‘admission ink is dry’. I think it is up to the student to decide when to write the thank you letters. My son is waiting. One teacher is currently helping him review application essays. Other teachers LORs are waiting to be coupled with the application in admissions as they were sent by snail mail. He wants to wait until all the ‘above and beyond’ is over so there is no misinterpretation.
I think this is very individual and local customs should be closely regarded.</p>