Oxford DPIR Graduate Applicants 2021

Thanks for making this thread! I’ve applied to MPhil Politics (Political Theory) and am anxiously awaiting a response. How is everybody feeling? It sounds as if it’s more competitive than in previous years...

I'm okay but to be honest since I heard some students have been rejected this morning I'm just stressing. What about you guys?

Why do you think that is it more competitive?

Same here, I’m hoping for a response in the next week or so, but I’m not holding my breath. We’ll just have to tough it out and see, keeping my fingers crossed for us all!

And, from what I can gather, postgraduate applications tend to go up during times of crisis. Plus, a lot of people may have deferred/reapplied from last year due to COVID. I read on the Oxford Postgraduate Application forum that some courses have seen an increase in applications of approximately 30%.

Same here, I’m hoping for a response in the next week or so, but I’m not holding my breath. We’ll just have to tough it out and see, keeping my fingers crossed for us all!

And, from what I can gather, postgraduate applications tend to go up during times of crisis. Plus, a lot of people may have deferred/reapplied from last year due to COVID. I read on the Oxford Postgraduate Application forum that some courses have seen an increase in applications of approximately 30%.

Thanks for starting this thread! I am waiting for MPhil Political theory

Where do you come from all? It would be useful to know each other a little bit to compare our backgrounds. I'm an international student living in the UK and actually studying at Birkbeck College. What about you guys?

I think there will be more competition this year due to the labour market and people who put it off last year due to covid.. LSE sent a mail round stating that they had 22% more applications this year than the last as of February, with some courses up by 40%.

I've applied for political theory - kinda struggling with the wait at the moment, and something playing on my mind is funding. I doubt I'll be able to take up my place (if I was offered one) without some kind of funding

No problem, I've never actually started one before!


I'm from the UK, graduated from Birmingham in 2019 and been working since. I've also applied to Edinburgh, Cambridge, Warwick and LSE. Just waiting to hear back from Ox!

Where do you come from all? It would be useful to know each other a little bit to compare our backgrounds. I'm an international student living in the UK and actually studying at Birkbeck College. What about you guys?

What colleges have people applied for? I’ve applied to Nuffield because of the funding but ultimately happy with wherever if I’m even afforded a place!

For the moment, I applied to Oxford and Kings. But I just applied to Kings because I was not sure to be accepted at Oxford, but I hope to receive an answer from Oxford.

Are we supposed to contact our potential supervisor?

What colleges have people applied for? I’ve applied to Nuffield because of the funding but ultimately happy with wherever if I’m even afforded a place!

Are we supposed to contact our potential supervisor?