References and Interview Dates

After jumping to answer the phone every time it rang for the past few weeks (hoping for that call inviting me to an interview), I decided to call the Astronaut Selection Office and ask for a status update on my application. Two of my key references had informed me about a week ago that they had just sent in their recommendation forms, so I wanted to make sure the Selection Office had received them.

Teresa Gomez shared that they are really "backed up" with processing the recommendation forms right now with a backlog of at least 50. I asked how this affects the selection of interviewees, and she said the references don't matter very much since they're not even required to return the forms in the first place. I guess they see any recommendation forms they receive (and process) as useful but not required information in accesssing an applicant. I inquired when she thought they'd make it through the stack (thinking she'd say a few days), and she suggested that I call back in "a few months" and ask again.

Obviously, I'm concerned because perfectly good recommendations might go unused while the selection panel chooses the interviewees based on incomplete information. Recently, several fellow applicants have discussed the matter of references on the AsHos board. I think my conversation with Ms. Gomez today clears up the question whether an application is in limbo until all references are turn in (No). This explains why some people have been asked to interview without reference contacts.

Ms. Gomez confirmed the interview group dates for all 120 interviewees, which I've listed in the table below. She added that all slots in December are already full and that interviewees could be contacted with as little as one week's notice before being asked to come to Houston for an interview. However, one can request a later interview date if the first available one is not a good time (which is why some slots in January are already taken). In past years, NASA has issued press releases announcing each interview group, but that doesn't seem to be happening during this selection cycle.

Group   Dates   Number   Group 1a Group 1b Nov 17-19 Nov 19-21 10 10 Group 2a Group 2b Dec 8-10 Dec 10-12 10 10 Group 3a Group 3b Dec 15-17 Dec 17-19 10 10 Group 4a Group 4b Jan 12-14 Jan 14-16 10 10 Group 5a Group 5b Jan 19-21 Jan 21-23 10 10 Group 6a Group 6b Jan 26-28 Jan 28-30 10 10 total: 120

Note that at least two other applicants with earth science backgrounds have already been asked to interview (1, 2). I'll just have to be patient a while longer to see if I get to join them.