How to Thank Teachers Who Wrote Letters of Recommendations?
It is essential to thank teachers who wrote recommendation letters for you. Learn the different ways to thank your teacher for the recommendation letters
A recommendation letter is incredibly helpful during the process of admissions, as it provides an insight into your character and personality from a third party member. It is obligatory on the part of the 'recommendee' to thank the teachers who wrote the letters of recommendation. This can be achieved by a simple 'thank you' note or a card.
Before we provide on how to thank teachers who wrote letters of recommendation, we must first explain the importance of a good recommendation letter. Usually, this letter is submitted after the arduous process of application has been completed.
A good recommendation letter can be your golden ticket to a variety of ventures as it testifies your credibilities well enough to impress the jury.
The application process is a long and hard one. You receive help from all corners beginning with your parents who offer financial and judicial aid, as well as from your peers and schoolmates who might offer to read over your collegiate essays. After you have submitted your application you must now show your appreciation to all those people who were integral to your success in this process.
But what would be the most appropriate way to show your immense gratitude and appreciation? This article should shed some much-needed light on the variety of ways you can thank teachers for their letters and guidance.
How To Offer Gratitude To Your Recommenders?
Metaphorically, your letter of recommendation is a 'weapon' when you are on the college admission battleground. It is a testimony to your credibilities, and it boosts the odds of receiving the scholarship, or any other financial aid. Your recommender may have been your high-school teacher. He/she had invested time and effort in creating a champion letter of recommendation for you. It is courteous to thank your teacher for sparing her valuable time in your recommendation letter.
There are myriad methods for you to thank your teacher for her contribution in formulating a successful letter of recommendation for you. The method of offering gratitude varies from student to student as the only person who truly knows the recommender(s) is the recommendee, but in the event that you are unable to find a good way to thank them, given below are a number of ways you could do so:
A gift as a token of gratitude
A gift can be a token of gratitude, appreciation, and sincere fondness for your recommender. However, sending a gift ( to offer gratitude) must not be your first instinct. This sentiment is extremely touching but is a tad bit harder than buying a simple card. Buying a gift would mean knowing your teacher and their tastes and preferences. Since most teachers don’t tend to share this kind of information and it would be rather hard to buy a gift for them without knowing their selective preferences. You would end up buying a soup maker for a teacher who does not like soup at all.
In the event that you are unaware of the recommender's preferences but you still wish to gift them something, resort to something 'general' or 'universal'. You may gift him/her a bookstore gift-voucher. A good read is always appreciated. Your gift can be something as simple as a pen, or a journal.
It is highly recommended to check in with your school policies as many institutions forbid the exchange of gifts between the staff and the students. Your recommender might also not favor gifts from students, hence decide accordingly on the plan for a gift.
Send them a card
One of the most economical yet utterly pensive means to express your immense gratitude and appreciation for a teacher is through a card. You can write down a note to thank him/her for the time and energy he/she invested to craft a letter that would allow you to streamline your application process. A more efficacious method would be to make a card from scratch. This portrays your ingenuity and expresses how grateful you are for your teacher's assistance. You should try to avoid any cliche messages (like you are the best teacher in the world) and instead go for a message that resonates with a specific memory you share with this particular teacher or counselor. Walk down the memory lane, and reminisce on your stand-out events. You may write about the constructive debates you both partake in on the current political scenario or some classic literary work that you both fancy. Either way, make sure the card is simple, yet highly personal. It should demonstrate your gratitude and appreciation for his/her efforts.
A thank you note
A short, sweet, and meaningful note can be a perfect means to thank your teacher for his/her letter of recommendation. Be precise on your content, and do not beat around the bush. You must write your note in a way that it seems personal, but invokes a sense of professionalism too. This note does not necessarily need to be a pen and paper affair. You may mail your recommender your note of gratitude, or send me a 'snail mail' to add a touch of tradition to your approach (we all love a snail mail). You may improvise on the logistics, but make sure your note reaches them and is not lost in transition.
Offer gratitude in person
Irrespective of whether you get your teacher a materialistic piece (as a thank you memento), it would only be polite and courteous to have a conversation regarding their commitment toward your recommendation letter. You could use this conversation to express your profound and immense gratitude for their efforts. Keep them in the loop, and keep in touch. There is nothing more that a teacher loves than to see his/her student excel in life.
Importance Of Recommendation Letters
The process of application is finally finished by submitting a recommendation letter. The reason behind its submission is that this letter attests to your skills and competence. Usually, a candidate approaches a teacher or a counselor a month in advance in order for them to have adequate time writing this letter. This teacher or counselor must know the student quite well and must be familiar with their skills and general competence in order to attest to its existence. Most colleges allow the student to look over the letter before it is sent to them, but in the case that you are unable to do so make sure the teacher in question submits it in a timely fashion. It would also be courteous for you to provide money to cover the expenses of postage service and so on.
Once this letter has successfully reached its intended recipient it would be prudent for the student to graciously thank the teacher who took the time to write a letter of recommendation amid their busy schedule. A champion letter of recommendation can open multiple gates for a student, as it improves the odds of not only cracking admission in a college but paves the way for financial assistance, jobs, and more.
Conclusion
Your recommender has spent ample time, and effort in weaving a successful letter of recommendation for you. It is obligatory on your part to thank them for their contribution to your college admission. The means of gratitude is highly subjective. You may improvise on the aforementioned tips, and devise your own methods of showing your appreciation, and respect. A card and a note can never go wrong. You may even thank him/her in person. However, if you wish to send your teacher a gift as a token of respect, and appreciation, make sure you do not bridge any boundaries. Be thoughtful, grateful, and humble.
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