Thank You Cards: The Best Advice I Got!

The importance of sending a thank you card to admissions directors shouldn’t be underestimated. If you’re anything like I was when we were applying to private elementary schools, the remaining aspects of the school application process during the last two weeks are never far from your mind. That brings me to the what I’m calling the “heartfelt note”.

I was on the phone late one night in February 2006 with a Willows School mom (a friend of a friend) during our application for kindergarten for my daughter. She was planning to write us a letter of recommendation for the school. I was telling her that if we were accepted, we’d definitely accept the Willows’ offer of admission. I told her how much we loved the school and how it would be an amazing school for my daughter. Being a very savvy TV/Film agent, she said “you need to write a heartfelt note to the admissions director telling her everything you just told me.” “Don’t hold back,” she said. “Really express your thoughts and tell her how much this means to your family. That’s what I did,” she told me.

Following her advice, I did exactly that. I got out a note card, had a glass (or two) of wine and wrote a personal note to Kim Feldman, The Willows School admissions director. I’ll never really know what (if any) impact it had on the school’s decision to accept my daughter. Still, I like to feel that I did everything possible to get my kids into a great private elementary school.

The heartfelt note is just one more example of “insider” advice that I would not have come up with on my own. I’m grateful to the mom who gave me the idea for sharing her experience and suggestions. Now, I’m sharing her (and my) advice with you.

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Christina Simon: Los Angeles, California, United States I'm the mom of two kids who attended The Willows School in Culver City and Viewpoint School in Calabasas. My daughter is a graduate of Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism ('23) and my son is a sophomore at UPenn/Wharton ('26). I live in Coldwater Canyon with my husband, Barry, and our dogs. Contact me at csimon2007@gmail.com

4 thoughts to “Thank You Cards: The Best Advice I Got!”

  1. The importance of a thank you note – to admissions directors or pretty much anyone who has done a kind turn cannot be underestimated. I have told my kids over and over that they must thank coaches, mentors and others in their lives that go out of their way. I am bonkers for that stationary, btw. Beats email every time:)

  2. BH Mom, I agree! I love stationary and my daughter is obsessed too! Nothing better than sending or receiving a beautiful note card. I like your message to the kids about thanking coaches and other important people in their lives.

  3. Totally agree. I always keep a set of Crane stationery on my desk for this very reason. The Kate Spade Composition Notes that you linked are uber-cute.

    Admissions directors understand that the devil lies in the details!

  4. This is great advice. When my son attended a summer program at a private school we plan to apply to, I remembered you saying “write a thank you note after any interaction.” The thank you note for the summer program was an opportunity for us to highlight what we like about the school, and it was a delight to run into the administrators nearly a year after the fact and they remembered us and the note. Your advice and this blog are so helpful. Keep it coming!!

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