Cambridge 2016 Postgraduate Entry

I'm sure that this is written on the website and has been answered before, but can anybody tell me when we have to pay tuition fees for MPhils? Does it have to be upfront or can it be in instalments?

How strict is Cambridge with the academic condition? If you have met all the conditions (financial undertaking, language test etc.) but may be short on your marks, how would this be met by the department? I know that they would still consider you, but what is the probability of being admitted, especially if your course is not the most competitive one at Cambridge?

Hey guys! Congrats to all who have an offer!! I got accepted for an MPhil about a month ago, but my application seems to have stuck at my second college preference (Emmanuel) for three weeks now. Doesn't that seem like a bit too much? Has anyone had a similar problem?

I realise it's been awhile since you posted but my application is also stuck at Emma. How long did it take for them to get back to you or are you still waiting?

I know that the deadline for accepting MPhil offers is the end of July, but if we found out that we were unable to attend after this date, due to financial restrictions or whatever, would we be able to get out of the commitment?

It took Emma about three weeks to get back to me and I was not accepted. My application was then pooled and I got allocated to a college 3-4 days later. It seems like a long wait, but I suppose that it was a busy period for the college. Hope everything turns out ok for you

Thanks! Do you think it'd be ok to email them and ask if they're full? I'm trying to decide between Cambridge and Durham and I'd need to accept Durham today if I want to keep my place...

I guess is it safe to assume that I'll be allocated a college?

Thanks! Do you think it'd be ok to email them and ask if they're full? I'm trying to decide between Cambridge and Durham and I'd need to accept Durham today if I want to keep my place...

I guess is it safe to assume that I'll be allocated a college?

Thanks! Do you think it'd be ok to email them and ask if they're full? I'm trying to decide between Cambridge and Durham and I'd need to accept Durham today if I want to keep my place...

I guess is it safe to assume that I'll be allocated a college?

Hi there, I got accepted by the department and now awaiting degree committee and board approvals... Anyone knows what criteria they assess? What are the possibilities of not getting an offer at this stage? Thanks x

When department applications go to the degree committee it is largely for benchmarking reasons, ie multiple degree courses are working from one 'pot' of student numbers and finances. The meetings ensure that Course A is consistently selecting applicants to the same standard as Course B, and it then arbitrates if Course C says it is having a particularly strong year and wants to make more offers, negotiating with A and B to take fewer etc. There is simply no way to know what your chances are at this point without knowing the specific workings of the degree committee - do the courses bring spares along to the board, what is the current position wrt improving academic performance, are there departmental strengths to develop, how are other courses filling up etc.

Once you get through the degree committee, the BoGS stage is usually a formality, provided your application is legitimate.

And just to add to your point, for many departments, it seems the real evaluation first occurs from the degree committee stage. Once all my papers were submitted, it only took me three days to move from department to degree committee, while it took over an entire month to move from degree committee to BoGS/Offer made.

That's not to do with the degree of assessment made, simply the timing of an application folder arriving versus a person making time to read them and the timing of meetings. Your papers just arrived on the relevant academic's desk in the few days they were focussing on making their recommendations before the degree committee meeting.

The degree committee meeting date never equates directly to a move to BoGS, most applications come out of the degree committee meeting with caveats, checks, ie additional questions to be sorted, before they move on to BoGS or don't, so the meeting dates are not a very reliable guide to action.