Hi all,

I was short-listed and I had an PHD interview nearly 3,5 weeks ago. After an interview, I sent a thank you notes to my interviewers and got one email back

''you were ranked on the third position. We will keep you informed about further decisions.''

The point is I never heard anything back from them only one after an interview.

Should I be patient or should I send a mail if they made a decision unofficially ? What can I do now?

Thanks you all.

Hi geoshuk,

I'm not sure if I've understood you correctly, so I apologise if I've got this wrong. It sounds like you emailed your interviewers after the interview, and one replied and told you that you were ranked third, but the others haven't replied separately.

I think if I were in your position, I would interpret the email as a rejection: they have already told you that they have ranked you third, so presumably they have offered the PhD to somebody else. Their response sounds a little vague but I assume what they mean is 'we will let you know if the other two drop out'. On the other hand, it could be interpreted as a holding email, but I don't think it's very likely - you generally don't tell somebody they were third choice if you are still thinking of hiring them.

If the email is unclear I think you are within your rights to email them but to me it sounds as though you were unsuccessful. If I had not heard back after 3 and a half weeks I would probably reach that conclusion.

Hope this helps.

I agree with littleowl. It doesn't sound like you got the position.

It seems that you normally hear within 1-3 days if you are successful in obtaining the PhD. It's a bit strange that they didn't send you a more formal response but I guess they thought that this reply would be sufficient.

I think I have to apply another PHD position :( thank you so much for your answers.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. In general, whether for jobs or PhDs, it is always worth keeping on going with applications even if you've got an interview lined up for something you really want. Waiting around for the outcome of a single application can mean missing out on other good opportunities.

I remember the time I was searching for a PhD studentship, I got interviewed on a number of occasions. At the end of the interview when I am given an opportunity to ask the interviewer(s) some questions or seek any clarifications, I would always ask when I should expect to get a response and they'd tell me.

The rule of thumb is to apply for as many studentships as possible, don't give up when you get a rejection, build on that to improve (amend) your CV or Statement of Purpose etc. I started searching for PhD studentships in 2011 and I finally got it in 2013. I even developed a spreadsheet which contained data of institutions I had applied for, the date I submitted the application, date interviewed (if any), date of expected outcome and the outcome.

Just to give you a rough estimate of how long it took to get a response for my current PhD position; I was interviewed on 26 March 2013 and I received an email on 20 May 2013 that I was successful (happiest day of my life).

I had two PhD interviews, and in both cases I heard back within a couple of days - one unsuccessful and one successful. It sounds like the interviewers used a very vague way to tell you that you were unsuccessful in this case. If it's any consolation, at the end of my first PhD interview they insisted that I got references that same day, which caused me a huge panic and a lot of pleading with people to write me a quick reference. I was very pleased that I managed to get the references they had asked for, and as soon as I emailed the references to them, they replied saying they had offered the PhD to someone else anyway!
It is not helpful to get a vague answer in such an important and stressful situation. Good luck with your next applications!

I got the call less than an hour after my interview to offer me the studentship, but then it was a group interview in my case (all candidates showed up on the same day at the same time) so the circumstances were pretty unusual. Nevertheless, I'd expect letting you know within 2 weeks is probably about normal if they have accepted you.

Hi
I am wondering how long after your initial application did you hear back to say you had an interview?
Thank you

Hi there,

I have a similar question. I was shortlisted and interviewed about four months ago by a British university. Unfortunately, I forgot in the interview to ask when the results are informed. Until now, I have sent several emails about the time of announcing the results. However, I have received no answer from them, except one email that told me that all applicants are informed in the next few weeks (I received this email in the first month after the interview). In your opinion, am I still in the evaluation process or it might I am rejected and they forgot to declare the results to me?!

Thanks a lot

Yes, you are right. Thank you for your advice!
In fact, the only thing that has kept me hopeful is the received email containing ''all applicants are informed after the evaluation got finished''. I think it is not very professional if they do not inform the applicants, even rejected ones!