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You’ve finished the all-important college interview, one of the last steps in your college application timeline. Before you declare this step over, however, make sure to write a college interview thank you email.
A college interview thank you email will acknowledge your interviewer and let them know how interested you are in attending their school. This is your opportunity to express your gratitude and can be a crucial step for acceptance, so it is important to get it right.
This article will focus on how to write a college interview thank you email and what you should be sure to include. By the end of this article, you should have all the tools to compose a meaningful thank you email after your college interview—increasing your chances of acceptance.
Writing a college interview thank you email is essential to leave the interviewer with a good impression of who you are.
Always remember that a college interviewer meets with a lot of prospective students–so you’ll want to find ways to stand out from the rest. By writing a college interview thank you email, you remind the interviewer of who you are and why you deserve a spot at their college.
Dan Stratford, an admissions expert and two-time graduate of Stanford GSB, discusses the importance of thank you emails in our college admissions Q&A webinar:
“After your interview, it’s crucial to show that you are courteous and grateful for the opportunity. Don't forget to follow up with a thank you email. It's a simple gesture that shows appreciation and reinforces your interest. It doesn’t need to be long, just a few sentences to express your gratitude and maybe touch on a point of discussion from the interview. It helps keep you fresh in the interviewer’s mind.”
Leaving a good impression is crucial as they may report to the other admissions officers on their recommendation. This could be your last chance to make a case for your acceptance, so ensure you follow good interview etiquette by writing the thank you letter with sincerity.
You want to write the college interview thank you email fairly soon after the interview. Directly after the interview, you might want to jot down a few notes that you could include in the letter so that you can put a few personal details that pertain to your interview.
Once you’ve written the email, make sure to send it about 24 hours after the interview, as this will show the interviewer how keen you are and that you know proper interview etiquette.
There are some elements that are essential to include in your thank you email. This section will cover what you can do to ensure you write a stellar college interview thank you email.
Even if your interview experience was comfortable and casual, you must remember to write your email in professional language.
You want your thank you email to be polite and professional by using the same format you would use for a business or cover letter. Ensure to be appreciative of the time the interviewer took to converse with you.
Thanking the interviewer for taking the time out of their schedule to meet with you is an essential part of your college interview thank you email. Ensure to express your gratitude for this at the beginning and end of the letter. With this said, make sure you don’t overdo your thanks. Keep it short, sweet, and professional.
In our college interview questions webinar, admissions expert Darryl Tiggle talks about how you can make a good impression on your interviewer:
“Let them know that you appreciate the time that you spent with them, that they volunteered their time to spend with you, and that you appreciate the insight and the amount of information they shared about their life experience at that school."
By adding specific details about the interview, the recipient will know that the email has not just been copied and pasted. Even if you use a template for the letter, mention something particular about the interview or the school/program you are applying to.
Reiterating your enthusiasm about attending the school is a great way to add detail to a college interview thank you email. This will let your genuine interest in the school shine through.
Ensure that your thank you email after a college interview is concise. Ideally, your email should be no longer than a few short paragraphs.
Remember that your interviewer already has all the information they need about you and why you are pursuing the program you’ve applied to. The college interview thank you email should only convey that you respect the interviewer’s time.
Darryl Tiggle says to always be thankful:
"At the end of the day, thank them for their time. Thank them for the opportunity to have the conversation, and let them know that you look forward to hearing back from them."
By using the above advice, you’ll be able to compose a successful college interview thank you email.
Here is an example college interview thank you email to guide your writing:
“Dear Prof. Brown,
I am writing to thank you for spending time with me yesterday and talking about the arts program at Koala University. I know how busy you must be, and I appreciate that you were able to spend some time getting to know me.
I also really enjoyed getting to know you and hearing how you decided to study art history at Koala University. Your study of Indigenous art sounds fascinating, and I hope to be able to learn more about the topic next year.
Please let me know if you have any more questions for me. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Abigail Bedford”
As you can see, the letter follows the guidelines we pointed out in the previous section. It is concise, polite, and customized to the interviewer so they know your gratitude is sincere.
Here’s another sample:
“Dear Prof. Smith,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me yesterday about Super College’s biology program. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me and share your experiences teaching at Super College.
I looked into the music and plant growth study you mentioned, and I found it fascinating; I’m looking forward to potentially learning more about botany in Super College’s Plants and Biodiversity course next year. Our conversation helped me learn much more about Super College and its commitment to environmental conservation.
Please let me know if you have any more questions about me or my candidacy, and I’d be more than happy to follow up. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Samantha Gould”
This example displays gratitude and references a point the applicant found interesting in their interview, making the response more personalized.
This college interview thank you email template can help you keep your writing concise while conveying your gratitude:
“Dear [Interviewer Name],
Thank you for taking the time to meet up with me on [date]. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to learn more about me and share your experiences at [school name].
I am glad we both [topics you both enjoy or have in common]. OR I researched/looked into/read/watched [things your interviewer told you about, and how you felt about it].
Our conversation helped me learn much more about [school name] and [fact about the school that stuck out to you].
Please let me know if you have any more questions for me. Thank you again for your time and insights.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
If you’re looking for more assistance with writing your thank you email or preparing for an interview in the first place, take a look at our downloadable college interview guide! We have plenty of guides and cheat sheets available to help students during the college application process.
You’ll need to be aware of certain pitfalls that students often fall into when writing their thank you emails. Be sure to avoid these common mistakes!
Writing an email that includes grammar and spelling mistakes is an easy way to appear unprofessional. It’s important to put the effort into proofreading your email carefully and making sure that your writing is error-free!
You may also want to use an online grammar checker, as well as ask friends, family members, or consultants to proofread your email. With these resources, you can ensure that your note has no mistakes!
It’s important to send your thank you email within 24 hours of the interview itself. If you wait too long to send your thank you note, the interviewer may have forgotten some details of your interview. It may also make you seem scatterbrained or prone to procrastination.
It’s important to remain friendly but professional. Even if you get along really well with your interviewer, you shouldn’t use slang or casual terms in your email. Be sure to maintain a voice that is composed, polite, and genuine.
You will likely be wondering how your interview went or if your interviewer has any insight into your admission chances. However, your thank you email is not the place to ask these questions.
Don’t ask for information or talk about how badly you want to be accepted. Simply thank your interviewer, reinforce your interest, and sign off.
For further interview help, try chatting with one of our experts! Our team has helped plenty of students ace their college interviews, like Piper, whose review is listed below. You can join the ranks of successful students!
“Through this program, I grew my interview skills, honed my storytelling abilities, and expanded my academic horizons. I was accepted into four great schools and am so glad Jacque was there to guide me along the way!”
Here are a few common questions about writing a college interview thank you email.
Yes, you should send a thank you email after each interview.
Make sure your thank you email after a school interview is professional and sincere. Remember to start and finish the letter with gratitude and be polite and upbeat. Being concise is also important as you want to avoid a long or repetitive email.
Your thank you email should be sent no more than 24 hours after the interview.
Expressing your gratitude is always key to leaving the interview on a good note. Something as simple as saying “thank you for your time” can work wonders and leave the interviewer with a great impression.
Additionally, ensure you add personal touches to the email. Saying something specific about your interview or the program is crucial. The last thing you want is for your interviewer to think you’re sending the same email to each person.
If you’ve stood out throughout the application process and landed an interview with your dream college, you must let them know that you appreciate the opportunity. Writing a thank you email after your interview is one way you can do that.
A well-written thank you email after a college interview is one of the most important activities you can do when applying for college. By writing a thank you email, you show your appreciation to the interviewer and the school for giving you this opportunity–leaving them with a good impression.
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