would a small donation be silly?

trackmbe3
Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:39:30 +0000

@gallentjill My D was in a similar position in turning down an offer of a coveted spot in a special program after interviewing with several graduate students and members of an admission team. She (not me) wrote a short paragraph to the head person thanking them for inviting her to be interviewed, commented about how nice they were, how she appreciated their time in showing her the program and how grateful she was for their offer of admission. And she said this was not an easy decision . But that after careful thought and deliberation she chose X school and program because of X reason. And she ended it by wishing them the best. All in a short paragraph of about five or six sentences. End. That’s it. Nothing more is necessary. The AO who was in charge of the program wrote back that he appreciated that she gave such careful thought to her decision that showed her maturity. And he wished her luck. If you as parent get involved by writing your own note, it’s like pouring salt on a raw wound. And a small gift or donation, while it may make you feel better, is not expected and definitely not necessary.