Chances for Cambridge MPhil Finance

Or the MPHil Finance and Ecoomics and this program shares many modules with the MPHil Finance

Hi guys! I got a conditional offer via mail from the department 5 weeks ago. My camsis account still shows: "The degree committee is satisfied with your application. However, your offer has not yet been approved. Awaiting decision by the Board of Graduate Studies". 5 weeks seem a long time, does anybody know whether this is normal? Shall I call the BOGS for detailed information? Which conditions will I be subject to satisfy? - I graduated last year. Any experiences here?

Wishing the best for those who are still waiting for a decision!

Best,
Oliver

To give you guys an impression of my profile:
European citizen, studying in Holland. CGPA is 9.0/10.0 and I am double-majoring in Economics (main program) and finance (honours major), so I graduate with 210 ECTS. I know numerous people from my university+from my program, who got into Cam Econ with a 8.0 CGPA => Its not that Cambridge doesn't like my Uni. Compared to my fellow peers, I am the best in my program (110 people) and top 1% of my faculty (6600 people). Reference letters state "very top 1%" of the program+gives benchmark size. I received several awards and scholarships for my grades + got into the most prestigious german undergrad scholarship program - Studienstiftung, which would have also largely covered my tuition fees + living expenses. Currently, I finish my last semester abroad at Berkeley, have numerous internships including bulge bracket ones, was instructor of finance seminars for first year students, was head of a career event for 100+ students, and have volunteer work experience in 3rd world countries. I have research experience -> extensive research thesis (40+ page thesis) in game theory for which I was awarded with the highest grade among all competing students (only third years and I was a second year student). My parents are poor, so I had to finance my studies on my own = work, I have a social life too and like to get drunk sometimes.

It seems to me that you are a lot more suitable for Econ program. They are also much easier to get into. That can also explain why the people you know got into Econ - it is not whether "Cambridge likes your uni", it is whether department likes your uni, and for different programs the answer may be very different! The more competitive the program - the more the name of your undergrad uni will matter.

As for volunteer work and such - it is cool, but I honestly doubt it makes any difference for Finance.

Dear Mr ***,

This email accompanies the University's official letter which will be sent to you in due course notifying you that we are unable to offer you a place for the MPhil in Finance.

You are one of a small number of applicants I am writing to on behalf of our MPhil in Finance admissions committee who were particularly sorry to decline your application.
Your application is very strong indeed and the committee would very much have liked to offer you a place. However, the course has been very heavily over-subscribed, with many well-qualified people applying for each place; and as we cannot at the moment expand the number of places, we have had to make rejections we very much regret.

We wish you well in your future career.

With best wishes,***