<p>Irrespective of SCEA decision for me at stanford ( I hope it would be postive!) I would like to thank my teachers who proivided recommendations for me… </p>
<p>In this regard, I need advise on what is the most appropriate way to thank them and also wish them happy holidays…I know that these teachers have put in substantial efforts to help me and several others at school and I don’t mind spending money to get them a good gift… But at the same time donot want to offend them…</p>
<p>I am keen to send these before I hear the results from Stanford.</p>
<p>I’m giving my teachers gift cards to their favorite stores. For example: one of my teacher’s loves video games so I’m getting a gift card from Best Buy</p>
<p>I strongly advise against $ equivalents like gift cards, they are REALLY inappropriate as a gift to a teacher from an individual student as opposed to a class gift or a PTA gift … home baked (by you) cookies are good.</p>
<p>Both of my recommending teachers are very health-conscious, and while they would certainly appreciate the gesture of cookies/home-baked stuff, in a way it would be a bit of a burden. </p>
<p>Not to mention that for one of my schools, they had to write a time-consuming separate letter the day before the deadline… obviously very poor planning on my part, but in my defense, I didn’t know I was applying there until two days before the deadline. I feel that the effort they gave was beyond expectations from a recommender, and though I have thanked them sincerely and profusely, I still feel as if it is not enough.</p>
<p>I went to blockbuster, and bought one of those popcorn buckets. Then I bought a few of the boxed candy, and a $5 gift card. That way they could have a movie night. As for gift cards being inappropriate, I’m not so sure because you should have seen the looks on their faces when they got that present. Lets just say all the other teachers were jealous.</p>
<p>Thank you all… I appreciate so many inputs. Here is what i am thinking </p>
<p>a. Definitely a nice hand written thank you card.
b. Thinking of purchasing a nice scarf and also thinking of enclosing a gift receipt for the same as well…Alternately flowers…
c. Definitely no gift cards!</p>
<p>Let the ideas leep flowing… Also you know what - I am no more tense with what the outcome SCEA would be… Instead I am working on this plan </p>
<p>I also realise that this is the last christmas i would celebrate while at my high school and I really want to do it in style…</p>
<p>I think it’s a little inappropriate to “pay” recommenders for their kind words. To me, bestowing gift cards for cash amounts (while probably the best kind of gift under the circumstances) still seems to me like compensating them for a service. I would recommend thank-you notes right now and save giving gifts for the holiday. Thank-you’s are always appropriate and gifts are appropriate for a gift-giving holiday. That way it does not appear that you are "paying " for a recommendation, but your recommenders will know what you meant…</p>