Happy to clarify it for you guys ! The trolls on the survey definitely throw me off and I don't want to cause any confusion. I am not exactly sure why they would wait till January. It is possible that they may send invitations sooner. If not, I would assume it is political since the top programs seem to coordinate with one another in regards to invitations and interview dates. Interviews in March are fairly late, which could be a reason for pushing the invitation. The best I can do is let you guys know as soon as I receive the official email invitation. That should hopefully be more valid. The whole idea of phone invitations is somewhat ambiguous and variable. It is up to faculty to call unofficially and emails seem more officially aligned with the programs projected itinerary. All we can do at this point is wait and it's painfully suspenseful.