Email about "Potential for interview"?

[FoggyAnhinga]

Hi all, I hope everyone's graduate application processes are going well! I just want some feedback on my current situation. Before applying to University Zerg (I'll just call it that to sound creative haha), I contacted the professor there to express my interest in joining his lab. A few weeks later he emailed me that I was among the short list of students being considered for the admission to his lab, and he and his colleague are hoping to bring several applicants to their lab for interview in December or January.

 

After I applied to that program in early December, I notified him of my recently submitted application, and he was happy to know that I was keeping him posted (I also exchanged several emails with him before I applied to ask some specific questions about funding and research), and said that he will get in touch with me soon about my potential for interview. Sadly, it is almost mid-January and I still haven't heard a word from him (I am assuming if interviews were to be conducted this month, I might have heard something...). I may be over-analyzing this, but if he said he will get in touch with me about my potential for interview, does that mean it's likely he will email me regardless of whether I have been selected for the interview or not? Or should I wait a little longer and send him a polite email about my application status if I don't hear any word by the end of this month? Thank you all for your feedback!

[iphi]

I would wait a little while. Some schools aren't even back in session yet. Wait at least a week, especially if you don't see anyone else posting on the Results Search about being invited for an interview.

 

Good luck! Waiting is absolutely the worst part!

[FoggyAnhinga]

I would wait a little while. Some schools aren't even back in session yet. Wait at least a week, especially if you don't see anyone else posting on the Results Search about being invited for an interview.

 

Good luck! Waiting is absolutely the worst part!

Thanks! I just realized that many schools actually started their spring session this past Monday, so maybe this is the starting week of interview offers getting back to the applicants. 

[iphi]

Yes, and many schools aren't in session til next week or (like mine) the week after. This is actually a sweet spot to be in -- you're likely to hear back but if you don't it's not an automatic "they don't want me!" like it would be in March.