<p>Have we talked about thank you gifts?</p>
<p>My S got recs from two great teachers he knows pretty well and we would like to give them something great in return. S will write two nice thank you notes to both of them once we have finalized where he is going, include a mug or something like that from the college but we want to do more. I know that is sufficient, but we really, really like these guys. Ideas?</p>
<p>I was just thinking same thing. I did some personalized thank you cards through shutterfly which includes his picture. Was thinking about putting in a gift card, but I like your idea on a mug. I love his teachers that wrote his recommendations and my daughter will probably have one of them next year for APUSH.</p>
<p>S2 wrote a thank you note for each recommendation that he had requested in the fall and we included a tin of homemade chocolate drizzled popcorn. When he knows which school he’s going to attend, I thought he could write a “thanks for helping me get in to XYZ College” note and include a gift card and something small from the college. I’m eager to see what everyone else is thinking!</p>
<p>Congrats to everyone that has received good news…hugs to those that have not. I think dignified1 characterized this process best - its a “crap shoot.”</p>
<p>Yesterday D2 came home with her Naviance login information. She is only a sophmore but here we go again…she has already started to get her list together and wants to start visits on April break. I have learned so much from this board, i can’t thank everyone enough for sharing. I think that this time it may be easier because D2 isn’t interested in an exclusive program or a program that requires a portfiolio/audition and I am more informed about this process (thanks to you!)</p>
<p>Apollo6 -I am also having a tough time getting my D to make a decision. She has some great choices and I am worried about housing but she is just not ready. We are going on a road trip next week to attend two accepted student days and I hope that will help give her some clarity. My guess right now is that she is going to end up going to school in Boston which she intially thought was going to be too close to home. But we shall see.</p>
<p>Thank you notes - My D had four people that she needed to thank. She just finished her thank you notes and gave gift cards to Panera and PF Changs (to the teachers that went the extra mile for her). They were very well received, in fact one of them called me directly to tell me she was very excited because she has been cutting back and hasn’t been able to go out for quite a while. Although I felt the gift cards were unimaginative, the recipients loved them.</p>
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<p>You know that is how I feel lately. I love getting gift cards to places I visit everyday: coffee shops, local restaurants, movie tickets, etc. With gas so high, I really am counting every dollar I spend. …hmm maybe a gas card.</p>
<p>MOB - thanks for sharing the feedback on the gift cards. I had also been thinking about gift cards for a few teachers that have really gone the extra mile for D but was holding back because they did seem impersonal. I had not really thought that teachers are having to cut back just like the rest of us so gift cards are probably great ideas this year. Plus, we have a big levy on the ballot in April and I hear our teachers are very much on edge about the ramifications if it fails to pass.</p>
<p>Hi everyone. :)</p>
<p>Congratulations to everyone who received good news!</p>
<p>OWM ~ Glad to hear things are looking up for your S. Impressive that he took immediate action.</p>
<p>Emmy Bet ~ Hope your Japanese student had a nice birthday in the middle of this tragedy.</p>
<p>2education ~ I will be very sad in September when S leaves for college. He is our only child.</p>
<p>Apollo6 ~ Sorry your S didn’t get the anticipated automatic merit award after working so hard for it in HS. Hope he changes his mind about housing.</p>
<p>Arisamp ~ That is so funny about your D getting the mail once a year and finding the big envelope.</p>
<p>Thanks for the interesting thank you gifts ideas.</p>
<p>Re thank yous: My relatives who are teachers say they never eat anything homemade that students bring. (I had thought that homemade cookies would be well received.) D didn’t have to have any rec letters, but my son did. I bought Starbucks gift cards and made Son write thank you notes. </p>
<p>Here is what is heartbreaking: Son’s teacher rec was from one of the most popular teachers in the school - she is asked to write many rec letters every year. Yet she was thrilled to receive Son’s thank you. So thirlled that she made sure he received one of the little “character” awards that the school gives out. Her reaction tells me that she has received very few thank you notes. So sad! (Who raised those other kids?!)</p>
<p>[I could also tell from the GC’s reaction that what she really appreciated was the Starbucks gift card.]</p>
<p>There is a Starbucks close to the school - I wanted the gift cards to be ones that were very easy to use. [I personally dislike receiving a very small gift card to a very expensive restaurant.]</p>
<p>The sun came up again this morning here in Missouri. I assume it did in Cambridge, MA, as well!</p>
<p>Tonight is the last Parent-Teacher Conference of our parental careers. We will get to personally thank all the teachers who have helped our sons for the past seven years–and sell raffle tickets for our PTSA scholarship fund. We intend to send thank you notes and gift cards to the teachers who wrote recommendations later in the year. I have kept the counselor’s office stocked with homemade cookies all year!</p>
<p>Waltz practice last night was a hoot. Our first practice was in a large ball room and the instructor counted out all the beats for us and told us when to change steps (box, balance’, box, revolve the box, box, under-arm turn, repeat, dip!) Last night, we saw the real floor and it is about one-third the size of the practice room. So 40 of us pretty much ran into each other. The instructor wasn’t there, so none of us were sure when to start. We all laughed so hard and the kids were so relieved that they didn’t have to take it too seriously. These 20 kids have had fun together for two months now and you can tell they have genuinely enjoyed being a part of an elite group.</p>
<p>My two cyber worlds collided last night when a lurker here sent me a PM. He also lurks on a sports board that I frequent. I use different names but he put two-and-two together after my posts about our grandson on both boards last week. (It’s a small word after all…") His NM finalist daughter will be another “smart kid” at Mizzou in the fall. I think we might need to start planning a “smart kids and their parents” tailgate for the first football game! </p>
<p>Looking forward to celebrating decisions with all of you in the weeks ahead. Again, thanks for the support yesterday.</p>
<p>After viewing many threads on the “Thank you” topic, most of the teachers write in that personal notes are the best. </p>
<p>Gift cards are a nice enhancement, if teachers are allowed to receive. If teacher has a favorite charity or cause, could make a donation in their honor.</p>
<p>My daughter gave thank you gifts to the offices at Christmas, decorated jars of Hershey Kisses. She took one to the main office, one to student services and one to guidance. She will write thank you notes and give gift cards to the teachers who wrote recs for her. And I already bought a nice gift card to the mall for her guidance counselor. She has been so wonderful to work with all these years and has gone above and beyond for my daughter. My daughter was home schooled before she entered high school, so her guidance counselor was been more involved with her than most of her students.</p>
<p>And speaking of gifts, what are you all doing for your kid’s close friends. My daughter has five very close friends, four girls and a boy, that we want to get a gift for. Any suggestions? This is in addition to the gifts for friends who have parties and such.</p>
<p>Good morning. I’m so glad to see all the good news that was posted yesterday.</p>
<p>Schokolade, Puma, Arisamp, Rom, Snoozn and anyone else I missed: Congratulations on the lastest acceptances. Each one is a triumph.</p>
<p>PHB: Congrats on the NYC summer internship for your older daughter. Its sounds like a very exciting opportunity. Mine is still hoping to land one. She’s made the first cut on several and has some interviews coming up. </p>
<p>Camathmom: Great news about the Cornell likely letter. I hope the $$ work out.</p>
<p>Renmom: Senior year is full of bittersweet moments. Congratulations to your son on his sports improvement. He might want to consider competing on a club sports team in college. My D1 has had a great experience on her club gymnastics team. The club teams practice and compete against other colleges, but they are much more laid back than NCAA sports team. It’s a great way to continue the sport and also provides a social niche.</p>
<p>OWM: I’m so glad to hear that the sun came up today. My daughters were obsessed with “Annie” in elementary school, and I still think about that song when things are bleak.
It’s great that your son is already moving on and investigating research opportunities at Mizzou. </p>
<p>After my daughter was accepted ED, she wrote thank you notes to the teachers who wrote her recommendations, and we included a gift card. The teacher’s really appreciated the gifts and especially the update to her plans. I don’t think that teachers get enough appreciation for the time they spend on this important task.</p>
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<p>fishymom - I have a good friend who gave her daughter’s best friends towels for the dorm. She bought nice extra large but not extra thick towels and embroidered them herself with the name or initials of the friend. The towel and stitching matched the school colors that each kid was going to. I guess they turned out to be very popular gifts with the kids!</p>
<p>PinotNoir, that sounds like a great idea! They will certainly need towels.</p>
<p>The towels sound like a good idea. Girls also like the Vera Bradley organizers that hold their keys, phone, and ID. You can try to choose one in the school colors. The big Vera Bradley duffles are also a great gift if family members ask what your daughter would like. I got one for my niece in Carolina blue when she graduated, and my sister-in-law mentioned recently how much use it has gotten. She just ordered one for my daughter in Scarlet .</p>
<p>Gifts - D wrote a thank you note for both the teachers who wrote recommendations and gave it to them over the holidays (one teacher retired and was only there subbing the first part of the year). D has a unique relationship with her GC - based on some conversation with him, she baked him banana bread with chocolate chips.</p>
<p>Planning on getting a mug from the school of her choice and filling it with chocolate and giving it to all of them when she finally decides. Also told her that she should send an email to her alumni interviewers.</p>
<p>We also had a friend write her a letter of recommendation for a couple of different community service scholarships. We need to figure out what to get this friend. Not a close friend - but a good acquaintance who has been incredibly helpful. There’s also another good friend who was her first coach in two of her varsity sports - I was suggesting that she get him something too and add a short note. The list goes on and on…</p>
<p>Gifts for girl friends - she has one that’s likely to attend Tufts. I thought the silver chain with an elephant pendant would be cute for this girl. Don’t know what she’s going to do for the others…</p>
<p>OWM, I just have to comment on Mizzou. </p>
<p>First, if your son goes there, he will encounter lots of hot Texas girls. Mizzou, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and LSU in particular have greatly benefitted from UT’s “top 10% [now top 8%]” rule. The Texas kids at Mizzou may not be in the top 8% of their class, but they are plenty bright. (My own D is only in the top 15% of the class with a 5.05 GPA on a 5.0 scale, with 10 APs.)</p>
<p>Second, I’m sure you know this, but many large state schools have multi-generational legacies who only consider one particular school. We know quite a few very bright kids who would have had a lot of options, but only applied to Texas A&M. Everyone in their family has gone there, they’ve followed the sports all their life, so it is the only school for them. I’m sure Mizzou has a similar following.</p>
<p>Finally, at the good state schools you will find lots of super bright upper middle class students. Too “rich” to qualify for need based aid, but not rich enough to pay for a private or OOS out of pocket. The state schools are the only options for many who don’t want to get into debt.</p>
<p>Vineyard Vines has a big collection of college ties and totes. They’re beautiful–subtle enough that you could wear them/use them for any occasion. They are a little pricey, but would be a great gift for S/D or one of their close friends. For those who wear suits for graduation, might be the perfect tie. The Coach outlets usually have wristlets or small wallets, sometimes with a keychain–just right for the college ID and a $20 bill. Towels are also great. If you think the monogramming is over the top (I don’t, but some do) you can have the monogram done in the color of the towel–then it can be identified, but doesn’t seem too preppy.
For recommenders/teachers, we gave a donation to a cause at school in their honor. DS also wrote thank you notes. Thinking about taking a photo of him at admitted students visit at some iconic campus site to make into a card for final thank you now that he knows where he’s going.</p>
<p>Wednesday’s Countdown is: </p>
<p>**UC (March 19th) - 3 days to go. Not much longer!</p>
<p>The big “H” and other ivys - 14 days to go based on the March 30th at 5 PM announcement date and time. We are down to two weeks for the Ivy League schools.</p>
<p>March 31st schools - 15 days to go. Just a half month until this madness is over.**</p>
<p>There seems to be a lot of opinion that Stanford will releae their decisions early. Based on last year’s release on the Friday before April 1st, Stanford will be added to the countdown using March 25th so -</p>
<p>Stanford - 9 days to go based on March 25th.</p>
<p>I love the idea of Vera Bradley stuff in the college colors.</p>
<p>Know, however, that as fun as college gear is, you’ll be amazed at the number of kids who change schools after first semester, first year, second year, etc.</p>