How to tell someone you are not interested?

How do you tell someone that you are interested but you are waiting to hear back from someone else?

• This is a little bit of a long story. I'm doing a Capstone Project and my parents want me to do something with my future career, while I would like to do something with my hobby. Because my parents have to sign off on my mentor-ship and project, they said that they would first like me to pursue being mentored by a medical researcher, since that's what I'm interested in career-wise; however if this prospective mentor cannot mentor me, I am free to do whatever I want. So here's where it gets complicated: Prior to asking this prospective mentor, I contacted my town's cultural arts commission about a month and a half ago, inquiring about any mentoring opportunities, since at that point in time my parents really didn't care. The lady responded nicely and asked to meet with me and I responded, but unfortunately, I didn't hear back from her until 3 days ago, inviting me to a meeting to discuss mentor-ship opportunities. Thinking that she was no longer interested I told my parents about a week ago and they called their friend the medical researcher and we have not heard back from him yet, but will tomorrow. I am going to go to the meeting and discuss being mentored with this woman; however how do I tell her that I am interested, but I am waiting to hear back from this man, without offending her? I also would like to add that I'd be more than willing to volunteer for the cultural arts commission, if that helps at all.

• Answer:

  My suggestion: Go to the meeting with the lady from the Cultural Arts Commission, and discuss the mentoring opportunity. Don't mention anything about the other possibility. Surely you can tell her that you would like to talk her proposal over with your parents, and will give her your answer in a day or two. That will give you time to hear from your parents' friend the medical researcher, and make up your mind which of the two opportunities sounds better for you. A "mentorship" sounds rather like an "internship" or an unpaid volunteer position. On the one hand, the cultural arts position sounds like a fun thing to do, while on the other hand, the medical research position would be a rare chance to experience how a medical laboratory actually works. If either of them were to have a small salary attached, that would be a plus, wouldn't it? Paid work always looks good on a resumé.