Gift Ideas for Rec Letter Writers Forum

[orphanarium]

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[Veyron]

I am pondering the same question except for middle aged and older men.

[Cupidity]

Mine are faculty that I'm close to, so I don't really feel a rush to get them something right after the letter. That being said, I plan on getting them school stuff when my cycle is over. Hopefully the Judge will be playing softball in a nice UVA baseball cap.

[jay115]

my LOR writers also happen to be three professors on my thesis defense panel, so i plan on getting them all bottles of wine the week before my thesis defense...

[MURPH]

Depends on what school you get into. Safeties=thank you card. Target= small gift card. Reach=wine. Dream schools HYS = dinner at a nice restaurant

[lawman335]

It actually depends upon the school u joining, if u r thinking to join a big school u can give big gift and if u r gonna join a small school u can give a small gift..............lol

[autarkh]

You can't go wrong with booze and a nice card. If they don't like alcohol, they can always re-gift it. Do at least try to figure out what they might like, though.

I gave a bottle of Patron to my younger prof, and some Black Label to the older one. Both were guys and, predictably, loved it. For a woman, I would probably get a nice bottle of wine or some liqueur.

Of course, if you know something specific they would like, that's even better.

My last advice is to divorce the gift from the quality of school you get into. Especially if this wasn't a "this person got an A in my class" letter. They did their part, regardless of how you fare.

[eandy]

I'm not 21, so I can't give alcohol. So for one prof that I really like, I made little chocolate cherry bundt cakes and individually wrapped them. Then, I put them in a basket(so that each got six). I also included a thank you note. It's pretty cute in my opinion.
For another one, who showed me his letter and I wasn't too pleased(he said very nice things, it was just all over the place), I am getting a 10 dollar starbucks card and a thank you note.

[Mr. Matlock]

I'm not 21, so I can't give alcohol. So for one prof that I really like, I made little chocolate cherry bundt cakes and individually wrapped them. Then, I put them in a basket(so that each got six). I also included a thank you note. It's pretty cute in my opinion.
For another one, who showed me his letter and I wasn't too pleased(he said very nice things, it was just all over the place), I am getting a 10 dollar starbucks card and a thank you note.

Both sound like excellent ideas! Especially the chocolate cherry bundt cakes! Nice personal touch!! I gave each of mine Amazon gift cards.

[tomhobbes]

I just said thanks. I'm a guy. They understand.

[MURPH]

You can't go wrong with booze and a nice card. If they don't like alcohol, they can always re-gift it. Do at least try to figure out what they might like, though.

I gave a bottle of Patron to my younger prof, and some Black Label to the older one. Both were guys and, predictably, loved it. For a woman, I would probably get a nice bottle of wine or some liqueur.

Of course, if you know something specific they would like, that's even better.

My last advice is to divorce the gift from the quality of school you get into. Especially if this wasn't a "this person got an A in my class" letter. They did their part, regardless of how you fare.

I was only half serious about that. Though if you get into HYS you really should do something special.

[iShotFirst]

My writers are in another country so I sent them a nice letter, some of the "famous San Francisco chocolate" (I live in SF) and a little funny toy that my company gives to its customers. Just tried to make it somewhat personal.

[autarkh]

You can't go wrong with booze and a nice card. If they don't like alcohol, they can always re-gift it. Do at least try to figure out what they might like, though.

I gave a bottle of Patron to my younger prof, and some Black Label to the older one. Both were guys and, predictably, loved it. For a woman, I would probably get a nice bottle of wine or some liqueur.

Of course, if you know something specific they would like, that's even better.

My last advice is to divorce the gift from the quality of school you get into. Especially if this wasn't a "this person got an A in my class" letter. They did their part, regardless of how you fare.

I was only half serious about that. Though if you get into HYS you really should do something special.

I realized you were... I was just emphasizing that one should do something nice either way.

[amorfati42]

I wrote both of mine nice thank you note's and got them both gift cards. One to a movie theater because she is an avid movie fan and was always talking about films in class, and my other rec'r one to Barnes and Noble.

[timshel]

I went with thank you notes and PF Chang's gift cards.

[taw856]

I just said thanks. I'm a guy. They understand.

+1

[joshhoward]

$10 to starbucks. all professors drink coffee.

[LessThanLiz]

$10 to starbucks. all professors drink coffee.

$20 Barnes and Noble. They read, right?

(Well, one of my professors has described himself as a "connoisseur of beer" so I have contemplated a Beers of the World gift certificate...)

[TTH]

Always appreciated:

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[07ggfa5]

a thank you card and coffee beans - something special like kona or blue mountain. My recommender who happens to be a coffee drinker loved it a lot.

[ogman05]

Engraved pen and thinkin maybe a small gift card. Really happy with my outcome and had two great recommenders.

[jay115]

Always appreciated:

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What is this

[prefontaine]

Right click, "save as"

[jay115]

Right click, "save as"

oh my. i dunno; college professors are classy/rich. a nice blunt or perhaps an eight ball might be a more proper gift.

[TTH]

Right click, "save as"

oh my. i dunno; college professors are classy/rich. a nice blunt or perhaps an eight ball might be a more proper gift.

You can never go wrong with meth, but other hard narcotics may be acceptable, depending on the season.