Question: I heard that I should be sending thank-you notes when I meet admission officers at schools or college visits. Is this true?

Answer: While this is somewhat controversial, the advice I give to my clients is to be genuine throughout the entire process. If the admission officer went above and beyond his or her usual responsibilities and took the time to meet with you individually, it might be reasonable to thank him or her for their time. Your intentions are simply to offer thanks and let the officer know that you now have a better understanding of their college. Many students are hopeful that their thank-you letter will be added to their file, but many thank-you notes are not saved once they have been read. Some students even take the ridiculous step of sending gifts in the hope of winning over the hearts of admission folks.

What I find so ironic about this new fad is how little students pay attention to the real work being done on behalf of students in their own schools. Students applying to private colleges and universities generally need two letters of recommendation from teachers as well as one from their college counselor. It is not unusual for a teacher to have over 20 recommendation letters that they write in their own time with no additional reimbursement. I have found that teachers and counselors generally expend significant thought and time creating a letter that accurately portrays each student’s strengths and contributions they have made both in school and in the community. Often, this involves not only reviewing materials written for such purposes by both the student and their parents, it also involves reading detailed resumes and talking to other teachers and counselors who also know the student. I am consistently impressed how seriously teachers and counselors take this responsibility on top of their full teaching load.

Students need to show that same consideration by leaving teachers sufficient lead time before the letters must be postmarked. They also should either write down why they are applying to each of the schools on their list and how they think they can contribute to each campus, or set a time to meet with each recommender to discuss this. I tell students I work with not only to enclose a resume for their teachers, but also a detailed cover letter that reviews significant contributions they made in class, memorable pieces of work such as a good exam or essay as well as a detailed timeline with due dates for each school. Another consideration is to supply them with stamped envelopes already addressed to each admission office to which you are applying.

While each student waives the right to read their recommender’s essay, I have found that teachers and counselors who work with high school students genuinely care about their students and will work hard to find positive attributes that best describe each student’s strengths. It is always a good idea to ask the teacher who you select if he or she is able to write a really strong recommendation for you. If, in fact, a particular teacher could only write you a neutral or lukewarm letter, it is better to know that in advance, so you are free to ask someone else. Now is the time to swallow hard, thank them for their honesty and move on. They have in fact done you a favor, as a neutral teacher recommendation will have a significant negative impact on your entire application.

No matter how busy students find themselves in their senior year it is my hope that each student will take the time to write an equally genuine thank-you note not only for the teachers who wrote their recommendations but also for all those adults who supported them in some way throughout their high school years. I can assure you those cards and gifts will not be carelessly discarded.

Joan Franklin is the owner of The College Source, an Independent College Consulting Practice (www.thecollegesource.org). She is also a certified school counselor in the Issaquah School District. She lives and practices on Mercer Island and can be reached at 206 232-5626, joanfranklin@thecollegesource.org.