<p>My son was accepted to his #1 choice (Columbia) early decision. He is still in shock. Would it be appropriate to send a gift card along with a formal thank you note to his guidance counselor and the teachers that wrote his recommendations?</p>
<p>It is absolutely appropriate if you want to thank these individuals for their time and effort at guiding/supporting your son's application cycle....and or also his overall high school experience. We did movie theater tickets for our oldest son's teachers who wrote recommendations, inserted in his thank you notes. We thought a night out during the holidays was well deserved......</p>
<p>gifts before they write, not so good....but, thank you gifts that are less than $25 are always appreciated......by anyone!! </p>
<p>Congrats on the Columbia decision..... there is someplace nearby that serves GIGANTIC slices of pizza....my son looked at Columbia......thinking he was interested in the city and realized it was too much city for him....... we always liked their application..... their interest in their applicants reading and other cultural interests..... best wishes....</p>
<p>I gave a gift to our daughter's gc at the end of the year. I felt that she was instrumental in the entire appliation process as well as helping out with community base scholarships.</p>
<p>My D brought flowers and chocolates to her GC after the early decision admit. We hoped it would help the team get through the horrible regular decision season.<br>
If it's after the fact, it can't be thought of as influencing the letters or whatever, just pure thanks.
Plus a formal letter to the administration detailing how the counselor helped can be even better - you never know when the counselor might have to move to a new job and letters like that can show the new district that someone is a candidate who can advance their students and knows college admissions.....</p>
<p>There's a good thread a while back about this if you search.</p>
<p>Teachers say the best gifts they get are hand written cards and notes which are kept forever and are heart-warming to read years down the road.</p>
<p>CD of classical music for a teacher who likes it, picture frame for another. I buy gift certificates for nicer quality complete car washes, a luxury in today's world. Book by author in teacher's field.</p>