gifts to recommenders

Question

Is anyone giving gifts to your recommenders during Christmas before an invite or waiting for an invite? 

I myself have no guarantee of an admission as I am not applying to any safety schools now. But am waiting till I meet them in person, which would be after Christmas. I was considering sending a card in the mail but Ive never done that before and I thought it will be awkward to do that just this year, in case I dont end up following it next year. 

Just curious what everyone is doing.

Praetorian · Answer

riverripper, should we incorporate this into the wiki page on recommendations?

Thought you may find the following links helpful:

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t43272

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t41429

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t40796

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t37772

https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t25597

Search term: "gift" or "gifts": https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/search.php

mbagal1 · Answer

Thanks Praet. I have actually seen most of these links on searches. I should have clarified, Im curious what this years applicants are doing since no one seems to be talking abt it (yet).

I do think it will be good to create a wiki page for this though.

riverripper · Answer

I did make a wiki for recommendations already. https://www.gmatclub.com/wiki/Recommendations

Prae I will try to spend a few minutes and set up something for gift ideas. The good thing about wiki is that its easy enough for someone to add to it so people can add their gift ideas.

riverripper · Answer

updated with ideas from last year and off the top of my head. Now the real question is does anyone know how to make links within a wikipage. It woudl be nice to have one of those little boxes in the corner with the places to click to skip to the appropriate section.

kryzak · Answer

I'll see if I can add to the wiki page, but for here, I'm planning on giving both of them a bottle of port from my favorite winery in Sonoma, CA. I'm a port collector, so I got quite a few good ones saved up in my wine fridge that I give people as gifts.

If I get in, I like the memorabilia from the school idea, like a t-shirt, mug, picture frame, etc...

mba2010 · Answer

I'm gifting one of my recommenders with a rare cab from one of my favorite wineries ($65). I sent the other one a cigar gift box ($100).

I thought sending them each something they can enjoy is much better than sending them wearables from wherever I end up. Who wants a purple Kellogg shirt if their only connection is their former direct report went there? My two cents.

kryzak · Answer

that's what a mug/keychain/picture frame is for... a fond memory that their hard work writing the recommendation letter helped someone they cared about get into a school of his/her dreams.

riverripper · Answer

I couldnt get booze if I wanted...if I brought that into my work we both would get in big big trouble.

mba2010 · Answer

Personally, if I had spent all those hours getting someone into the school of their dreams, I'd prefer more than a trinket. Perhaps the trinket in addition to the booze.

River: I'm in sales & marketing. We drink A LOT.

TimeSquareDesi · Answer

LOL - I also have this problem. If someone see's me with a bottle, I'm in trouble. Yet when people in management have bottles of Jack / Black label in their drawers ALL-YEAR-ROUND, it's no problem....

kryzak · Answer

Um, as I said before, you get them something nice for the holidays, and THEN get them a trinket if you get in. 

If you prefer to get them booze both times, then you are free to do so. That was just my own suggestion.

mba2010 · Answer

oh, missed the holiday part. luckily my first admit and the holidays coincide.

kryzak · Answer

yup, that does save the time and $$ knowing you got admitted already before the holidays.

riverripper · Answer

mba2010, your avatar is gonna confuse people...just like mgoblue's name will. 

All the kellogg admits are advertising other schools.

mba2010 · Answer

Wherever I go, I'll still be a Golden Bear

And, I'm still holding out for Haas.

kryzak · Answer

LOL, but your (river) avatar makes it look like you're attending the Naval Business Academy (if one exists)

I think mba2010 still has a few more schools to hear from, and she just may still end up at Haas when all is said and done. :wink:

riverripper · Answer

I know I was just giving her a hard time, I am still waiting to change my avatar until I hear from all schools and make a decision. 

Next year I will be like rhyme advertising my school...its gonna get confusing since I usually use people's avatars as a means of figuring out who is posting.

kryzak · Answer

I'm just pulling your strings too, river (getting you back for the "profile" thread

) But you're right, can you imagine when many of us change our avatars once we matriculate at our schools next year? All of a sudden, penguin, submarine, BSD devil, and other avatars will turn into school mascots/emblems and we won't know who's who anymore, haha! :lol: