c/o 2019 Applicant Compendium (2015 - 2016) Forum

barley · Post by **barley** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:17 pm

Hildegard15 wrote:
barley wrote:
basedvulpes wrote:I think today is the day I escalate with my profs. Going from "hey, here's a new PS, hope the letter is going well." to "hey, I'm done with all of my application materials and sitting around waiting for letters. When are you going to be done?"
Just make sure you phrase it gently since you asked for a 9/15 deadline! Something like "letting you know I finished my applications ahead of schedule and will be ready to submit as soon as your letter is in"
Continuing along the same vein, since my prof is actually late, is a weekly reminder too much? And should I be escalating my language with her?

I think weekly is totally fine because they're late... I personally don't think escalating language is necessary or beneficial, since they'll know from the multiple emails that you want them in ASAP.

doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:19 pm

fips tedora wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
fips tedora wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:What are your favorite shows?
1. Trailer Park Boys
2. Frasier
3. Sherlock
4. Are You Afraid of The Dark?
5. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
6. The Wire
7. The Sopranos
8. Twin Peaks
9. Seinfeld
10. No Reservations
Some good stuff in here. I have a huge man crush on Bourdain.
He easily has the greatest job in the world, hands down. He gets paid to travel and film the best places to eat, with those meals cooked by the country's best chefs, gets drunk on the best wine/beer/alcohol, gets to stay at the best hotels, and meets the most interesting people in the countries.

Not sure I'd want to eat unwashed warthog anus, but I'd agree that he has the best job in the world 98% of the time. Have you read Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw?

alpha kenny body · Post by **alpha kenny body** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:29 pm

doublehoohopeful wrote:
fips tedora wrote: He easily has the greatest job in the world, hands down. He gets paid to travel and film the best places to eat, with those meals cooked by the country's best chefs, gets drunk on the best wine/beer/alcohol, gets to stay at the best hotels, and meets the most interesting people in the countries.
Not sure I'd want to eat unwashed warthog anus, but I'd agree that he has the best job in the world 98% of the time. Have you read Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw?

I own both of them. I like Kitchen Confidential better. It's easy to see how, that small tribal band tattoo on his arm, is a remnant of his boomer heroin addiction days.

alpha kenny body · Post by **alpha kenny body** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:32 pm

urbanist11 wrote:Trailer park boys is incredible

Yes, you are correct. They mentioned on Swearnet that they would like to structure the show similarly to Coronation Street, wherein the characters age similarly to the corresponding seasons, and it runs for multiple decades. I am pretty sure my life would be made.

doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:38 pm

fips tedora wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
fips tedora wrote: He easily has the greatest job in the world, hands down. He gets paid to travel and film the best places to eat, with those meals cooked by the country's best chefs, gets drunk on the best wine/beer/alcohol, gets to stay at the best hotels, and meets the most interesting people in the countries.
Not sure I'd want to eat unwashed warthog anus, but I'd agree that he has the best job in the world 98% of the time. Have you read Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw?
I own both of them. I like Kitchen Confidential better. It's easy to see how, that small tribal band tattoo on his arm, is a remnant of his boomer heroin addiction days.

Yeah, I liked Kitchen Confidential more as well. I haven't watched his subsequent shows as religiously as I did No Reservations, but he had a show recently when he went back to Massachusetts and met up with people from his wild days. It was neat to hear his views from back then and link it to drug issues today.

barley · Post by **barley** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:51 pm

Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?

doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:55 pm

barley wrote:Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?

I gave my professors four years of tuition, I'd call us even.

benwyatt · Post by **benwyatt** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:57 pm

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jettison63 · Post by **jettison63** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:57 pm

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slippin_jimmy · Post by **slippin_jimmy** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:01 pm

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barley · Post by **barley** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:02 pm

slippin_jimmy wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
barley wrote:Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?
I gave my professors four years of tuition, I'd call us even.
I've been wondering the same thing.

My dad said no, a gift would be awkward.

I like Ben's idea for a little school-specific gift after admission, though.

doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:02 pm

slippin_jimmy wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
barley wrote:Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?
I gave my professors four years of tuition, I'd call us even.
I've been wondering the same thing.

In all seriousness, I gave them a nice handwritten note.

jettison63 · Post by **jettison63** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:04 pm

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benwyatt · Post by **benwyatt** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:05 pm

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doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:07 pm

benwyatt wrote:
barley wrote:
slippin_jimmy wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
barley wrote:Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?
I gave my professors four years of tuition, I'd call us even.
I've been wondering the same thing.
My dad said no, a gift would be awkward.

I like Ben's idea for a little school-specific gift after admission, though.
Yeah, I'm talkin' a coffee mug or something.
Nothing extravagant or weird, just a small, tangible thing.

I think it really depends on your relationship with your recommender. If it feels right to give them a small gift, go for it. If not, trust that instinct.

barley · Post by **barley** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:07 pm

jettison63 wrote:
slippin_jimmy wrote:
doublehoohopeful wrote:
barley wrote:Did you all give anything to your letter writers to thank them? (Besides a card). I'm thinking I should get them some nice chocolates or something?
I gave my professors four years of tuition, I'd call us even.
I've been wondering the same thing.

Gratitude is great if it's genuine, I think. But this is also part of their job. I feel like I gave my LORs hundreds of hours of research support....A thank-you card=sufficient.

Eh I guess it depends on the context in which you know them, but I personally don't feel entitled to a letter from any of them/like it's their "job", per se. Maybe it'd be different if I had volunteered for any of them. But yeah, j guess a genuine card should be fine!

jettison63 · Post by **jettison63** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:09 pm

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slippin_jimmy · Post by **slippin_jimmy** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:09 pm

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alpha kenny body · Post by **alpha kenny body** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:10 pm

I'm just going to wait until I know where I attend, and then send them something small, related to said school, with a small thank you, and my contact information to stay in touch.

doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:11 pm

jettison63 wrote: True...and to be fair, it' s not that I approached them in that way at all, but it was what each of them said to me when I thanked them.

Agreed. I don't think there is a professor alive who feels put out writing a letter of recommendation for a good student (assuming they're not a jerk).

benwyatt · Post by **benwyatt** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:13 pm

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benwyatt · Post by **benwyatt** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:14 pm

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doublehoohopeful · Post by **doublehoohopeful** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:15 pm

benwyatt wrote: I had an LSAT student ask me to write a LOR for her once...
It was very weird.
I was like "You know I've only had you for 10 class sessions, right? There won't be that much I can say." and she didn't care.
I wrote a letter that basically said "Came to class, asked good questions, was attentive."

Dr. Benwyatt, professor of LSATs.

barley · Post by **barley** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:17 pm

doublehoohopeful wrote:
benwyatt wrote: I had an LSAT student ask me to write a LOR for her once...
It was very weird.
I was like "You know I've only had you for 10 class sessions, right? There won't be that much I can say." and she didn't care.
I wrote a letter that basically said "Came to class, asked good questions, was attentive."
Dr. Benwyatt, professor of LSATs.

I think my new intern who started today is applying our cycle as a KJD - I hope she asks me to write her a letter!

benwyatt · Post by **benwyatt** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:21 pm

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