Cambridge postgraduate applicants 2013/14

Because BoGS took your application into a long, process driven system and it got held up in a back-log

and didn't arrive at the department until [the Christmas break, the week the dept secretary was away ill etc]

which meant it missed being put in front of the fixed degree committee meeting.

The Secretary then decided to get approval from [the chair of the degree committee] to forward your application directly to a relevant potential Supervisor,

although it took a fortnight for the Chair to [come back off leave, answer the email, return from an overseas conference etc].

Then the first Supervisor took 3 weeks to read your application and make a conclusion because they [had a tricky bunch of undergrads to teach, had a new lecture series to write, was doing their own research]

they reported back that your application had a lot of potential, but they could not supervise because [they were leaving, they had too many students already, they were writing/publishing a book next autumn etc] and they did/didn't suggest an alternative.

The Secretary/degree committee took a week to think up a new potential Supervisor and send off your application again.

The second potential Supervisor was away [on a conference, having a baby, writing the final chapter to their book, trying to get out of North Africa in one piece, doing fieldwork in Outer Mongolia etc] and takes 4 weeks to make a decision and report back to the degree committee.

Your application then waits a couple of weeks with the degree committee until they meet to compare notes on applicants and comments to check they are making fair and equal decisions.

Then your application is sent back to BoGS for confirmation and the change to CAMSIS, where it joins a queue of several thousand other applications waiting for the same.

Eventually it gets to the top of the pile and CAMSIS is changed to reflect the decision.

You might get an earlier decision if a) the dept does not have a rigid rule against pre-empting BoGS and b) someone in the dept has the time and resources to email you directly and c) your supervisor is in the dept and OKs the message.

Simples

Anyway I have a question for former applicants, I'm at a bit of a loss with the CV.

Put it up in the CV Help forum and someone will be along to help

I will also be applying for the 2013-2015 MSt International Relations (part-time) while working.

OK, so with applications opening Sept/Oct and queries starting to pop up in the existing Cambridge 2012 thread about next year, I thought it was maybe time to start the next thread So this is for 2013 applicants to chat about their applications (and hopefully, in due course, their offers), and hopefully also for those who have been through the process to chip in with advice.

From previous years, two main areas that are usually talked about are (1) the perennial "are my grades good enough to apply?" and (2) "why are they taking so long?"

Re the second, I am reposting a quote that Craghyrax used in a previous thread:



Re the first, it varies by course but generally:






So, looking forward to hearing from future applicants - background, what you are applying for, questions.

For my part, perhaps a slightly unusual applicant in that I was previously accepted for an MPhil (Economics) which I had to turn down due to funding issues. I am now working full-time, did a part-time MSc elsewhere along the way, and will be applying for one of the few part-time masters courses on offer at Cambridge (Mst in International Relations).

hi
thanks for creating the post. i am sure we lot will appreciate your effort. given you had previously applied for Mphil economics, and i am planning to do the same, i have had a quick question on that.
it seems there arent that many differences between the Mpil econ and Mphil econ and finance, however, from a variety of sources, it seems to suggest econ and finance course is much more competitive to get in, even though the modules overlap a lot. is that true?
also, if you dont mind sharing it with us, what was your conditional offer for cambridge back then?
cheers

Hello everyone,

Yep, I'll be wasting £50 applying to Cambridge for a PhD on the extreme off chance I'll get an offer.

Timescales
It may be several months before the department makes a decision on your application, especially for those departments who consider applications after the course deadline. Once the department and degree committee have made a decision, this will need to be approved by the Graduate Admissions Office. It may take up to 5 weeks from Degree Committee approval for your application to be approved by the Graduate Admissions Office. Please note that colleges will not receive your application until a conditional offer of admission has been made by the Graduate Admissions Office.
Your Self-service account will be updated once a decision has been processed.