Submitted or received
This normally means the system accepted the form, not that a recruiter has read it or confirmed you are eligible. Look for a confirmation email and reopen the application to check the correct resume, answers, and attachments are stored. Complete any separate action named in the confirmation, such as verifying an email address or asking a recommender to submit a letter. Save the role title, requisition number, date, and a copy of the posting. If the portal lets you edit a genuine mistake, do it there. Do not submit a duplicate merely to generate another confirmation unless the employer tells you to.
Under review, in review, or in process
These labels usually mean the application remains in an active workflow. They do not prove a person is currently reading it, that you passed screening, or that an interview will follow. Some systems apply the status to everyone in a batch and leave it unchanged for weeks; others update it automatically as recruiters move candidates. Check whether the employer published a decision window. Until that window passes, the useful action is to watch the inbox connected to the application, keep spam filters in mind, and continue applying elsewhere. Repeatedly refreshing the portal does not make the label more informative.
Assessment, screening, or action required
Treat this as a real deadline. Open the message and identify the task, vendor, time zone, expected duration, allowed attempts, technical requirements, and accommodation route. The action may be a coding exercise, reasoning test, recorded response, questionnaire, recruiter screen, or document request. Use only preparation material and assistance the employer permits. Complete the stage early enough to recover from a technical problem, then save the completion confirmation. If the link fails or an accommodation was not available, use the support contact named in the invitation and describe the specific problem promptly.
Interview, selected for interview, or scheduling
A portal label may appear before the scheduling email or after you have already received it. Check the application email account and spam folder, then use the stated scheduling route. Confirm the date, time zone, format, names or roles of interviewers, and anything you must prepare. If a scheduler shows no workable time, contact the named recruiter rather than choosing a slot you cannot attend. An interview status means you advanced to a conversation; it does not establish how many rounds remain or how close the employer is to a final decision. Ask about the next step at the end of the interview.
Inactive, no longer considered, not selected, or closed
A clear not-selected message ends that application. An inactive label can mean the employer closed the requisition, filled the role, moved the opening, or ended your candidacy, depending on the system. A closed posting also does not always mean every candidate has been decided; it may simply mean no new applications are accepted. Read any accompanying email before interpreting the label. If the employer provides a support route and the status is genuinely contradictory, one concise clarification is reasonable. Otherwise, record the outcome and move on rather than trying to reverse it through unrelated employees.
Withdrawn
This should mean you or the employer removed the application from consideration. If you intentionally withdrew, keep the confirmation and do not assume the action can be undone. If you did not, check for a duplicate application, a changed requisition, or an email explaining the action, then use the portal's applicant-support channel if the status appears wrong. Before withdrawing because you accepted another offer, read any outstanding terms and be certain of the decision. Do not withdraw merely because a portal has been quiet; slow movement and rejection are not the same thing.
Offer, pre-offer, or offer in progress
A portal label is not a complete offer. Wait for the written document that names the role, compensation, dates, location or work arrangement, schedule, contingencies, and response deadline. Verify that messages and documents come through official employer channels. Ask the recruiter about unclear terms and compare the practical cost of participation before accepting. A background check or other contingency may still remain, so follow the written instructions and do not assume every onboarding step is finished. Keep personal identification and banking information inside the employer's verified secure process rather than sending it to an unfamiliar address.
When should I follow up on a status?
Use the timeline the employer gave you. If a stated decision date passes, or if an interview follow-up date passes, contact the recruiter already handling the application or the official applicant-support route. If no timeline exists, wait a reasonable period rather than a few days and send one short message with the role title and requisition number. A portal status alone does not create a useful reason to email several employees. If there is no reply, continue with other applications. The separate follow-up guide provides a concise message you can adapt.
Can a status change backward or never update?
Yes. Recruiting systems can be updated in batches, mapped differently between internal and candidate views, or left unchanged after a decision email. An assessment invitation in your inbox matters more than a lagging submitted label, and a written rejection matters more than an under-review label that remains on the dashboard. Preserve the messages and act on explicit instructions. If two official messages conflict about a required action or deadline, ask the named recruiting contact to clarify; do not choose the interpretation you prefer and hope the system catches up.
A practical starting point
A status log that separates facts from assumptions
Role and ID: Data Intern, 18427 Submitted: September 14; confirmation saved Portal status: Under review, checked September 28 Employer timeline: Decisions expected in October Action due from me: None Next check: October 16 Fact: the application remains visible. Unknown: whether a recruiter has reviewed it. Next action: continue other applications and wait for the published window.
This is editorial guidance, not an employer-required format. Use true details, respect authorship rules, and follow the actual application prompt.
Check the program-specific instructions
Use these independent guides to find the official requirements and application route. General advice does not override a publisher's instructions.
Check eligibility and the selected role's document instructions before submitting. FirstInternships does not accept applications or store your resume.
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