<p>...your teacher and counselor who wrote a recommendation letter for you?</p>
<p>My mom's like "give them one near thanksgiving" and I think thats too late. What time is appropriate to give a thank you gift?</p>
<p>I think perhaps a verbal “Thank you” in person is more appropriate. However, if you really want to give them a gift, you’ll probably get better advice here: [Parents</a> Forum - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/]Parents”>Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>A gift is too much imo…I agree that a verbal “Thank you” is enough. If you must give them a gift, maybe wait until you get accepted? It would be more meaning full if their recommendation actually help you get in.</p>
<p>well I don’t know. Is a gift really inappropriate? I was thinking about a gift card. I mean it s a big favor for them to write the letter for you…</p>
<p>Everyone knows you discreetly slip them a big wad of cash along with the recommendation form.</p>
<p>Gift?</p>
<p>Well when my rec’s were taken by the teacher and counsler I said a verbal thanks. If I get accepted into University of Michigan I will notify them with another verbal thanks. If I get rejected from University of Michigan I will ( in a way) notify them with a “thanks anyway.”</p>
<p>I’d say Thanksgiving or even Christmas. Will they be writing any other letters for you? Wait until all letters are written before giving gift. A nice, handwritten note will suffice.</p>
<p>so a gift card is a bad idea?</p>
<p>I thought it was expected for students to give a small present to their teacher/counselor for writing the letters.</p>
<p>A gift card is a terrible idea IMO…counselors are required to write recommendations and all teachers (at least in my school) write letters for anyone who asks and has had that teacher in class.</p>
<p>IMO, giving anything more than a verbal thanks is too much, but giving them a gift card (AKA money) is way too much. I wouldn’t be surprised if they even refused the gift.</p>
<p>If that teacher/counselor has really helped you out in HS or something, and you’re close to them, then yeah, give them a Christmas gift or something, but giving them a gift just for writing a recommendation is too much, and it’s definitely not expected.</p>
<p>I gave my counselor and two teachers 1 100 dollar Macys gift certificates. Thing was it wasn’t my idea. My mother decided to give them gifts for christmas. I’m at U-M now so I can’t complain.</p>
<p>Yosup: What do you mean giving a teacher a gift card is way too much? Even though you are entitled to your opinion…a teacher doesn’t necessarily have to write you a recommendation, let alone a good one. So giving them a card or a gift isn’t too much, especially when you look at how low teacher salaries are. Although one of my teachers refused the gift because she thought she was fulfilling her duty to her students and she didn’t want any monetary rewards for it.</p>
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<p>I guess I just feel the same way as your teacher. If you do well in a class, it’s your teacher’s duty to write you a recommendation for college (at least IMO). Of course they don’t have to, but refusing a good student a recommendation is unheard of in my school, and teachers here do it pretty much for everyone who asks (although it may not be a good one). Teachers here think of it as part of their jobs; if they refused to write letters, we wouldn’t be able to go to college.</p>
<p>I guess I’m just trying to say that by writing you a letter, teachers and especially a counselor aren’t doing anything extraordinary for you. If you like the teacher, then a Christmas gift is a great idea, but I don’t think a gift is expected or necessary for writing a LoR. Besides (and I know this is just me lol), if I ever help someone out I’d prefer a heartfelt “thanks” (o_O) over a gift card or money.</p>
<p>I’ve always given a “happy holidays” card to teachers that had gone above and beyond for me that year-- even a cafeteria lady one year who gave me a free cookie every day just to be nice. 
I haven’t given gifts since about the second grade though when everybody did it. I feel like that’s way too much, it would make me uncomfortable to have students spending money on me.</p>
<p>We gave $10. Starbucks cards to each of the recommenders with a thank you note. I think that was a nice thing to do. I think a $100 gift card is breathtakingly inappropriate.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t oppose to one wanting to give their teacher/ counsler a gift, nor oppose to one who thinks they shouldn’t give a gift, just a verbal thanks. Though I do think one giving a teacher/ counsler money after a rec is almost like paying them for such… ( I think I read that someone gave their rec’s 100 dollars each.)</p>
<p>In my situation, I am very close to both of the teachers who wrote my recommendations. If and when I start at UT Austin in the fall, I fully plan to send them Longhorn memorabilia (nothing super expensive) and note thanking them for the time and effort they put in to the recommendation. It really depends on your situation and relationships with your teachers/guidance counselor. I would personally stay away from money and gift cards, as it is more like paying them off.</p>
<p>I see.</p>
<p>I guess I’ll give them a small gift for christmas since it does look very awkward giving a gift right after they send the rec letter</p>
<p>C_guy…gifts might be stretching it but I am certain there is NOTHING wrong with giving a handwritten card of appreciation, contrary to the comments here suggesting otherwise. In fact, thanking people in writing is a good practice to begin as you enter adulthood. It always means something to people to be acknowledged for their efforts, whether those efforts are part of their job descriptions or not : )
It reflects well on you that you posting to check the appropriate response. Best wishes!</p>