Reader Question: Who Should Send Thank You Notes For Secondary School? Parent or Kid?

Beyond The Brochure’s posts about thank you notes to admissions directors are consistently among our most popular. We recently got this reader question: “How many thank you notes is overkill or looking desperate? If an older student applicant sent a note, is it too much for the parents to also send a note reiterating what the student said?”

Anne Simon, Beyond The Brochure co-author, answered the question: “I think it is important that parents send a thank you – adult to adult, and I think it is very helpful for a student to send one also, especially a high schooler. I don’t think they should be coordinated necessarily. Each should offer their own perspective.”

Also, I think sending thank you notes after important steps in the admissions process is a great idea. For example, a thank you note after the tour. A thank you note after the parent interview or student interview if it’s high school. If you visit the school for a book fair or open house, that’s also a good opportunity to say thank you and convey your positive, even heartfelt, thoughts about the event. These notes are not only gracious, but they indicate interest in the school, especially if they highlight a specific aspect of the school you or your child really likes. Handwritten notes or email both work! –Christina

If you’re just getting started with thank you notes, its not too late! Here are previous posts on the topic.

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