The Student Room Group

Cambridge postgraduate application: Decision pending - application is under review

Hello, after being under review by the PAO, my application status has changed to a "Decision pending - your application is under review" status. I am rather anxious: what might this entail? I hear once your application makes the PAO stage it is de facto accepted, but this new status makes me worried.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
I’m also very curious to know what is this status.

A lot of applicants in MPhil in Ethics of AI has got a change from “degree committee review” to “Decision Pending - Your application is currently under review.”
So it didn’t go to PAO, but directly to this.

I read quite a big chunk of this forum, but haven’t encountered this status before.

Anybody else might know anything?
Reply 2
hi, im in the same boat! got moved from PAO to this one. can't find much online about what the status means... i thought PAO was the final stage.
Original post by Anonymous #1
hi, im in the same boat! got moved from PAO to this one. can't find much online about what the status means... i thought PAO was the final stage.

exactly, as people are saying on other forums, this should be either a disruption (info hiccup) or a conscious move to give away less information, presumably no actual change has happened to our applications, they are on the same stage... otherwise, I hear it is nearly impossible to get rejected at the PAO stage.
Original post by Dranox
I’m also very curious to know what is this status.

A lot of applicants in MPhil in Ethics of AI has got a change from “degree committee review” to “Decision Pending - Your application is currently under review.”
So it didn’t go to PAO, but directly to this.

I read quite a big chunk of this forum, but haven’t encountered this status before.

Anybody else might know anything?

Yesterday I was also at degree committee for MPhil ISMM and now it says decision pending. I'm really worried because I had read that DC meant my odds are very good and it got me excited.
Original post by McGillMaster
Yesterday I was also at degree committee for MPhil ISMM and now it says decision pending. I'm really worried because I had read that DC meant my odds are very good and it got me excited.

chill, it is by all means nothing, you are presumably on the same stage, it is just linguistic refurnishing for whatever technical reason. Everyone got this. Everyone.
I have the same question, my application also went from PAO to Decision Pending - application is being reviewed. I am really worried as to what it means.
Original post by Dranox
I’m also very curious to know what is this status.

A lot of applicants in MPhil in Ethics of AI has got a change from “degree committee review” to “Decision Pending - Your application is currently under review.”
So it didn’t go to PAO, but directly to this.

I read quite a big chunk of this forum, but haven’t encountered this status before.

Anybody else might know anything?

I think it did go to PAO because, in the morning it updated itself to PAO (I was constantly observing it) and then within 2 hours it shifted to Decision Pending. Let's see what it means. Fingers crossed!
Reply 8
same here, from PAO to decsion pending
Reply 9
Original post by Charlemagne2001
Hello, after being under review by the PAO, my application status has changed to a
I checked my status yesterday. It was marked as under review by DC. I didn't look again until just now and it says Decision Pending. I'm not sure if it went via PAO because I wasn't paying attention all day. To those of you who went thought the PAO stage, was that today or yesterday?

Maybe we should just all log off and stop torturing ourselves.....
Yeah it looks as though this happened to everyone who was DC and PAO so I don't think there is anything to worry about. I noticed before most people posted here about it so I thought it was just be, but it looks like everyone so I'm sure nothing has changed.
Original post by Anonymous #3
I checked my status yesterday. It was marked as under review by DC. I didn't look again until just now and it says Decision Pending. I'm not sure if it went via PAO because I wasn't paying attention all day. To those of you who went thought the PAO stage, was that today or yesterday?

Maybe we should just all log off and stop torturing ourselves.....

I agree it’s just anxiety building up for no good reason 😄
My status was "under review by department" this morning and then changed to Decision Pending. Does this mean I got through DC and PAO ?? That makes me excited but weird that it never changed in the portal
I saw the status update from pao to decision pending. I freaked and mailed them. I hope it doesn't mean anything negative. Will keep you guys updated if they reply.
Reply 15
Original post by Anonymous #5
I saw the status update from pao to decision pending. I freaked and mailed them. I hope it doesn't mean anything negative. Will keep you guys updated if they reply.

Please keep us posted! We will also keep you posted of any updates on our end (also POA to decision bugger all)! Big thanks!
Reply 16
Original post by Charlemagne2001
Hello, after being under review by the PAO, my application status has changed to a "Decision pending - your application is under review" status. I am rather anxious: what might this entail? I hear once your application makes the PAO stage it is de facto accepted, but this new status makes me worried.

i'm in the same boat as you! i had my hopes up yesterday when i saw that PAO status, but now i'm unsure. feeling super anxious.
Reply 17
I applied three programs with two PAOs and one still under review by department. The two PAOs changed to Decision Pending today and the one under review stayed the same. I have no idea what these entails... but hopefully it is just a technical issue cuz I heard that PAO rejections are very rare? Im so anxious
(edited 10 months ago)
Reply 18
I also had DC, then status somehow went back to 'submitted', which, I thought, was error in the system. When I checked later, it said 'Decision Pending - Your application is currently under review.' I didn't see PAO.
I have 2 applications (Chemistry & Chemical Engineering) and both are the same.
Anyways, good luck everyone!
The same happened for me - until Tuesday morning it was under review by the department and Tuesday evening it changed to PAO. Wednesday or yesterday I saw that it moved to 'Decision Pending'. I think what has happened is that PAO just simply means that is has come to PAO and decision pending I think means that they are actually working on your application and formulating an offer.
I got an informal email by my department two weeks ago, saying that they recommended me for an offer to PAO, which was an informal acceptance, so I have been waiting for the official offer from PAO. I don't think it is anything to worry about, but I quite can't believe I got in until I get the formal offer either haha!

Quick Reply