After I finish a college admission interview, is it standard to send a thank you email? If so, what should I include in it to make sure it's professional but also leaves a good impression?
It is indeed a nice gesture to send a thank you email after your college admission interview. It is not required, but it shows your appreciation for your interviewer's time, reinforces your interest in the school, and leaves a positive, professional impression.
When writing your thank you email, keep it sincere and to the point. Here is a general structure you can follow:
1. Greet: Start with a friendly greeting, address your interviewer by their title and last name (for example, "Dear Mrs. Smith,").
2. Express Gratitude: Thank them for their time and for the opportunity to learn more about the school. You may want to mention a specific topic you enjoyed discussing or something that your interviewer said which resonated with you.
3. Reinforce Interest: Mention how the interview has reinforced your interest in the college and briefly touch upon why you believe you'd be a great fit.
4. Close: Wrap it up by again thanking the interviewer and expressing your excitement about potentially joining the school.
5. Sign: Sign off with a formal closing, like "Best regards," or "Sincerely," followed by your full name.
Remember, this email should be sent within 24-48 hours of your interview. Make sure to proofread your email for grammar or spelling errors before you hit 'send'. Lastly, be careful not to turn your thank you note into another interview or an opportunity to discuss additional aspects of your application. This should strictly be an expression of your gratitude.
A strategy that reminds the interviewer of who you are and what your conversation was like can make your note more meaningful. For instance, you could say, "I appreciated hearing your perspective on the school's focus on community service, as this is a value that is very important to me as well," or "Your insights about the strong faculty-student collaborations within the Biology program confirmed that this is the right environment for me to thrive." This reinforces your fit with the school and puts you back in the interviewer's mind.
Always approach this with the mindset of expressing genuine appreciation and further demonstrating your interest in the college. And remember—the interview was your time to shine, so let this email simply be a courteous follow-up.
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