Fundamentals of Graduate School Tipping Below are the answers to three fundamental questions every new graduate student needs to know. Who to Tip? The answer to the "who" question becomes obvious when we consider that tipping is meant to reward good service. Those who service1 graduate students are (listed in increasing order of importance) their professors, their advisory committees, and the thesis clerk. How Much to Tip? Some universities still encourage a graduated tipping scale, "tipped" in favor of full professors. This arcane structure should not be followed. Instead, plan to tip each of your professors, regardless of academic rank, the customary 15% of the course registration fee (10% at MIT and Stanford). Of course, there will be exceptions to this guideline, so don't be afraid to increase or decrease the tip as the situation warrants. However, before "stiffing" a professor, bear in mind that your professor is obliged to share a percentage of his or her tip with those who render service but don't actually come in contact with the student, e.g., Department Chairs, Deans, Assistant Deans, Academic Deans, Graduate School Deans, etc. It is customary to tip all the members of your Thesis Advisory Committee. A good rule of thumb is to tip the committee chair the equivalent of two months salary2 (De Beers 1980). Other committee members should receive about half that amount. Not surprisingly, this guideline has contributed to streamlined committees comprised of the minimum number of members. Finally, plan to tip the thesis clerk generously. If the clerk is female, it is difficult to provide precise guidelines without knowing which coven she belongs to, but a good estimate is two dollars for each page in the main body of the thesis or dissertation. Male thesis clerks generally receive about 60-70% of what female clerks get for the same work. On rare occasions dating the thesis clerk has proven nearly as effective as a generous tip, but this is considered risky, at best.