"Just a quick note to thank you for your time..."

Don't you wish there was a super-easy, 2-minute way to underscore how serious an applicant you are for a given school? Don't you wish you could do something that was quick and easy that would immediately differentiate you from 95% of applicants that your interviewer has ever met?

There is. And it's super easy. Best of all--it'll make your mom proud.

Write a thank-you note.

You'd be shocked to find that almost no one does something that is so astonishingly easy, and yet makes a great impression on your interviewer. In a couple of hundred interviews, I've had--literally--maybe a half-dozen thank-you notes. Some were from applicants I met years ago, yet I still remember that they took the time to write me after their interview.

Do you think that made me feel more positive about them when I reviewed them for the admissions committee? You bet it did!

Here's what to do:

1. Get a business card--or something with the interviewer's email address and physical address on it--at your interview. If you forget, did he/she email you to set up the interview? You're golden (often email signatures will have a physical mailing address in them too). No? Do you know where your interviewer worked? You can call the front desk, explain who you are, and typically get contact information--at least a physical mailing address, if not an email address--that way. (Easier to just remember to get a business card.)
   
2. As soon as you get home that evening, send a followup email.
   
3. Within 24 hours, write an actual, honest-to-god, ink-on-paper note.

Why both an email and a physical note? Two reasons:

First, you're doing this to be nice, to be courteous, and to show your gratitude to this person for taking the time to meet with you--but also to demonstrate that you're a nice, courteous and thankful person. Some interviewers will write up your review that same day (while you're still fresh in their minds), and you need to get a thank-you in front of them before they submit your review, and an email accomplishes this. Even if your physical note goes out the next morning, by day 2 or 3 when it arrives, it may be too late to have an impression.

If it may be too late to have an impact anyway, why even bother with a physical note? Because (reason #2) NO ONE does now. It's an easy way to distinguish yourself from the pack.

I had a female applicant last year who sent me a very thoughtful note, carefully recapping our discussion, which left an incredibly positive impression with me. Even if there's a chance you've already been reviewed and it's too late, getting a thoughtfully done handwritten note leaves such a good impression--and is so easy to do--that you'd be stupid to ignore it.

Plus...comeon, it's just good manners.
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So what do you say?
On the email:

• Keep it short. This is an informal medium, and overwrought emails just feel... weird.
• Express gratitude for the interview and your excitement about the school.
• Thank your interviewer for anything you received (I always buy applicants a cup of coffee).

Example:
"Mrs. Alumna,
Thank you again for the cup of coffee, and for taking the time to meet with me this evening. I really enjoyed meeting you and hearing more about [your school]. If there's anything else I can help with or answer for you, please let me know. Thank you again for meeting with me ---CJ"

(Side note: sending an email also opens the door in case there is something that your interviewer wants to know or needs from you---this is extremely rare, but doesn't hurt to do)

In your written note:

• It's OK to be a little more formal--it's a more formal medium--but don't make it sound like Jane Austin.
  
• Keep it personal. This isn't a form letter.
  
• Keep it short, keep it hand-written (see below)
• Touch again upon your main interview themes (reiterate what you want the interviewer to remember)
  

Example:
"November X, 2009
Dear Mr. Jones,
Thank you for meeting with me earlier this week. I appreciate your taking the time from your schedule to meet with me and answer my questions about [your school]. I'm very excited about the chance to attend [your school] in the fall, and I was particularly interested to hear your perspective on the [your academic strength] department. I'm convinced that [school name] is a great fit for me, and I'm looking forward to [trying out for your favorite sport, joining some club you're dedicated to, etc].

Thank you for sharing your time, advice and perspective with me.

Sincerely,
CJ"

Point: you want to underscore one last time what you think makes you a unique, a particularly qualified candidate or a particularly good fit for the school. Don't sweat it though--overall, it matters less what you say than the fact that you said something.

Other points:
Should you type your thank-you note?
Absolutely not. Anything word-processed feels mass-produced, and part of your goal is to convey that you want to attend this school badly enough to put the time and effort into writing something yourself. (Under no circumstances should you do this)

Should you ever not write a note?
No. Unless maybe your interview was so unbelievably bad that your only hope is that your interviewer forgets to submit your review. Which won't happen--write a note.

Finally, should you just cut and paste the notes above and send them instead of writing something yourself? Since your interviewer may also be reading this blog...probably not. ---CJ