Harvard Interview

<p>What's wrong with writing thank you notes over e-mail?</p>

<p>i had no idea thank-you notes were required (my parents are completely unhelpful) so I'm rushing to send them all out now-- ones from interviews I had conducted in OCTOBER!! geez. I feel :(</p>

<p>babybird87: Just in case you don't know, you also should write thank-you notes to teachers after they write your recommendations. It's OK to wait until they've sent in all of your recommendations. You don't have to write a separate thank-you for each recc that they wrote. It's impolite, though, to wait to send the notes until after you've gotten your acceptances. You're thanking them for doing you the favor, not for the results.</p>

<p>Thank-you notes should be handwritten. E-mail is very informal, and is better than nothing, but is likely to also get overlooked.</p>

<p>Northstarmom- Thank you for your help. I never thought of sending it directly to the school's admissions office, and then having them forward it to my interviewer. In order for me to do this, however, will I need to write a separate note to the admissions office? Or if I just put, like you said, "alumni interviewer," will they understand? Thanks again.</p>

<p>They will understand. They have addresses for all of their alum interviewers.
You also can put a note on the envelope saying"Admissions please forward"</p>

<p>my interviewer gave me her card..yay..she was such a sweetheart..now i feel bad not sending a thank you letter already:(</p>

<p>I recently had my interview and my interviewer didn't have a business card, but gave me her phone number and e-mail address..is it better if i send her a thank you e-mail right away or send an actual hand-written thank you note that the admissions office would forward?</p>

<p>NSM-- thanks so much, I will do that as well. what if one of my rec teachers lives in another state? you think a handwritten is best?</p>

<p>Wow, so much I don't know about these things. Do you think that affected their reports on me (not getting thank you notes-- yet)?</p>

<p>It doesn't matter where the recc sender lives: Send a handwritten note.
Very few students have bothered to send thank-you notes. No, the notes don't affect my reports, though the notes do raise my view of the student. Usually I receive the notes long after I have sent in the reports. The students who have sent notes, however, did seem to be unusually gracious, including during the interview. A higher percentage of such students got acceptances. I think that reflects that in general, they are gracious people who are likely to go the distance when doing things.</p>

<p>I suggest that all students who are getting ready for college obtain and read an etiquette book. Things like knowing how to write thank-you notes are expected in the business world, and among professionals and others whom you are likely to encounter. Knowing to do such things can make the difference between getting opportunities and being left behind.</p>

<p>Lasagna: Since she gave you her e-mail address only, I suggest sending a gracious e-mail note ASAP.</p>

<p>A good thank-you note not only says "Thank you for the interview," but it adds a line expressing appreciation for something specific in the interview. For example:"I really enjoyed learning about your experience on the crew team because that helped me understand what my experience might be like if I decide to go out for a sport in college."</p>

<p>what do you say in the note besides the obvious "thank you"</p>

<p>never mind, i just read it</p>

<p>Northstarmom - If you had a particularly in-depth conversation with an interviewer, is it okay to mention just a few more specific sentences (going a bit more in depth) about the conversation? Or is it best to stick to two or three quick lines? I'm definitely not talking about writing a book, what I'd like to say fits on a nice short thank-you card.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

<p>Sending a thank you note is lame. It's total suckup, and they know it.</p>

<p>Of course, it's fine to mention some other things that you appreciated about the interview. I just gave you a format for the basic note. Feel free to elaborate as you desire. I am sure that the person will appreciate your note. Usually alumni interviewers bother to use their free time to inteview because they like to help out teens, and they also hope that someone from their area will get into Harvard.</p>

<p>northstarmom is right. my interviewer tells me he loves talking to college bound kids.</p>

<p>Mensa, manners is not sucking up...I bet in your interview you showed that attitude and it hurt you....sending a thank you note shows class and care...being lazy will not help you...but if you think being nice and having respect and saying thank you to people is lame, you have a lot of growing up to do...</p>

<p>Mensa does show signs of immaturity here,</p>

<p>Most of my interviewers have contacted me through email and wrote their full name at the bottom. How should I address them in an e-mail or thank you note?
Dear Ms. First Last? To Ms. Last? Dear Ms. First?</p>

<p>I almost asked the most incredibly dumb question. I didn't have an alumni interviewer's email or home address since she contacted me by phone. I was going to ask how I'm going to get that information from her at the interview or look it up in the phone book (and if that might be too obtrusive). Then I realized that I'm going to her home, so I have the address!</p>

<p>You would address them either dear Ms./Dr./Mr. First Last or Dear Ms./Mr./Dr. Last. If they seem to be a very recent graduate, I'd suggest: the Mr/Ms/Dr First Last approach.</p>

<p>I don't suggest using Dear First Name unless they specifically asked you to call them by their first name only. You may be misjudging their age. For instance, I know an esteemed law professor who holds a law degree and a doctorate who looks like she's in her 20s even though she's in her early 40s. It's also usually a matter of courtesy to not jump to the assumption that you are on a first name basis with a person who interviews you for a job or other opportunity.</p>