<p>title says it all: what do you typically get for your LOR writers as a thank you for their time and effort?</p>
<p>From what I have been told, you do not get them a gift at all. A gift might be seen in poor taste, and cheapens the relationship that a professor has with his or her students. Writing recommendations is a part of the process, and while professors might be extremely busy, they do not see writing letters of recommendation in support of a student’s application to graduate study as a labor, that is, unless that particular student is not worth recommending. In other words, they relish the opportunity to write a letter of recommendation for a student, and see it as part of the vocation.</p>
<p>That said, the better thing for you to do would be to write a nice letter that your professors might be able to include in their respective dossiers. Such letters might be beneficial to a professor, especially one who might go up for promotion. In any case, writing a letter that expresses, for example, your appreciation and gratitude for a course that you might have taken with a specific professor that, perhaps, proved seminal in your development as an emerging scholar would be much more appropriate based upon what I have been told. I think a professor would much rather read a letter that discusses his or her impact on you as a scholar than to receive a card or gift that, again, diminishes the worth of what they do.</p>
<p>Others might offer a different take. I am just passing on a point of view that has been offered to me by more than one individual.</p>
<p>I have thought about this too. While I agree with the person above – I also think it is a matter of who you are (generally a formal person or causal), what your relationship with your letter writer is like and what the letter writer is like (very professional or more lax/laid back) – I think a close relationship with a laid back prof could be given a small gift (like food items - nothing of a lot of monetary value). I was planning on sending a nice card (as I am currently not in the state of my undergrad school) and perhaps some holiday-season type food for my old lab (in state).</p>
<p>I’m thinking card too. I agree with lifeofthemind.</p>
<p>fair enough…perhaps a nice bottle of wine and a card will do.</p>
<p>@MolySysBio: Do you know what type of wine this person drinks? Do you know for a fact that he or she drinks? </p>
<p>@LacOperon: Do you now what type of Christmas food item that person enjoys?</p>
<p>Even if both of you do, you now put that individual in a position where they have to “thank you” for your “thank you.” My wife is a professor, and has stated she felt uncomfortable when given gifts. She’s been somewhat amicable to cards though she contends letters would be of much better value than any of the aforementioned. </p>
<p>I am sure other professors would agree. It would be nice if others professors who frequent this site can chime in. Or maybe even other students who have had experienced with these sort of things.</p>
<p>Yes, my impression is also that, if you give a gift, it had better be something you know for a fact your professor will enjoy. Not just feel neutral about. Enjoy.</p>
<p>I think a card is better than a standard letter because a card is more “gift like” (if it’s nice paper, artwork, writing etc) without being a “real” gift. I have a problem with you saying a letter is “of more value” (do you imply using the letter for tenure? for keeping the letter for reference to pull quotes from former students? this seems sort of exploitative of someone’s gratitude) – a thank you note is a thank you note. I would be more than happy to write a letter of support for a prof (which my classmates have been politely encouraged to do when our new-ish prof was up for tenure), but I think it’s odd to want a thank you that you can use for your own professional advancement without the student being aware that this is your intention. Sorta of ruins the concept of thanks to me as much as you believe giving monetarily valuable gifts “cheapens” a relationship. Profs could ask for letters of support just like a student asks for a LOR…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/449531-after-lors-turned.html?highlight=Gifts+recommenders[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/449531-after-lors-turned.html?highlight=Gifts+recommenders</a> I think this link to a discussion on here from last year might be helpful. Not trying to offend anyone, just trying to provide a perspective. It appears that a thank you letter would be the most suitable thing to do, and I am not alone in this viewpoint.</p>
<p>Personally, I am just going to do a card or come by visit my two LOR, because I am no longer in their lab. So, for me, it is not just a thankyou for a letter, because at least one of them has a few for me before, but for everything during the last 2.5 years or so. I would not, personally, go out and get wine or anything, but that’s just me. It is not a house-warming party. I am not going to do anything, but say thank you, to the LOR writter whose lab I am in currently. Because I agree, this is their job. They write these things for everyone in their lab all the time, awards, scholarships, next jobs, etc.</p>
<p>fair enough, i’ll stick with a thank you note / card.</p>
<p>
Okay, now that just seems weird to me.</p>
<p>While I did overdo slightly with my advisor (she did far beyond what a typical professor would do), a thoughtful card is worth a thousand words to them.</p>
<p>Getting a letter from a professor is really a privilege just as it’s a privilege for them to have a chance to write for you. It’s a fair trade. You had to work hard to cultivate your relationship with them in order to get that “yes” (I mean, you could’ve used the time that you spent in their office hours doing something else). In turn, they have to work to write a great letter. You don’t need to do anything more unless there’s another thing you want from them… It’s just a standard practice- professors know when students are looking to build a relationship for letters and go with it.</p>
<p>I feel very uncomfortable receiving more than a card or letter of gratitude. Then as mentioned above, the only real reciprocal gift would be to send a copy of the letter to the dept chair and/or college dean.</p>