What to do?

[edaidone]

Hello there! 

I thought that I may ask for some advice here on grad cafe. 

I applied to two colleges in my state for I/O psychology programs

One I was flat out rejected from, and the other I've been... waitlisted.

The school I was waitlisted from is my alta mater, and the professor over the program knows me because she was my advisor and internship supervisor in undergrad.

The graduate college at my university advised me to contact her because it's been 3 months since the application deadline and I have heard nothing. 

So, what would you do? Do I contact them, or not? 

I just feel weird about it. Any advice would be welcomed! and I thank you in advance! 

[Neist]

I'd contact the department.

What harm is a friendly email, especially if you haven't heard from nor contacted them in weeks?

[fuzzylogician]

Follow the graduate college's advice. If it were me I probably would have already contacted your supervisor several weeks ago to ask for an update or when I could expect one. At this point in the season, you are well within your rights to ask for an update and it shouldn't be weird at all. If the weirdness that you're worried about is getting rejected, you'll just have to get over that. That became an option as soon as you applied. You'll have to find out at some point, and it's better to know than to be kept in the dark. Your not knowing won't change the school's opinion of you; that has already been decided. All it'll change is your anxiety level. 

[edaidone]

29 minutes ago, Neist said:

I'd contact the department.

What harm is a friendly email, especially if you haven't heard from nor contacted them in weeks?

You have a good point. I've asked a few friends (both graduate students, and not) and it seems to be consensus is that I should contact the department. It's been 3 months, so it's time for the moment where I ask them what's going on. 

18 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

Follow the graduate college's advice. If it were me I probably would have already contacted your supervisor several weeks ago to ask for an update or when I could expect one. At this point in the season, you are well within your rights to ask for an update and it shouldn't be weird at all. If the weirdness that you're worried about is getting rejected, you'll just have to get over that. That became an option as soon as you applied. You'll have to find out at some point, and it's better to know than to be kept in the dark. Your not knowing won't change the school's opinion of you; that has already been decided. All it'll change is your anxiety level. 

I have decided to take the graduate college's advice. You are very right that I probably should have contacted them earlier. I had refrained from doing so because I had not graduated yet, and the professor over the program I applied to I was working closely with, so I didn't want to press and make things weird between us.  I do need to find out, because as I apply for jobs I find myself feeling anxious like "well, my luck is what I'll take a job back home and then grad school will give me their response."  I thank you for your feedback. Now I have to figure out how to construct an e-mail that asks what I want to know, without sounding too pushy...