Reapplying to the MSt in International Relations at Cambridge – worth trying again?

Hi everyone,

I’m considering reapplying to the MSt in International Relations at Cambridge after being rejected last year following the interview. I honestly stumbled over one key question, which I feel might have influenced the outcome.

I’m concerned that reapplying might work against me—especially since Cambridge deletes past applications, but some faculty might still remember applicants, especially from underrepresented regions.

So I’d love to hear your thoughts:

Has anyone reapplied to the MSt IR and been successful the second time?

Do you think reapplying is seen negatively if the same faculty are involved?

Should I briefly acknowledge my previous application in my statement to show reflection and growth—or just submit a fresh application with no reference?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated—especially from anyone who has been through something similar!

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone,
I’m considering reapplying to the MSt in International Relations at Cambridge after being rejected last year following the interview. I honestly stumbled over one key question, which I feel might have influenced the outcome.
I’m concerned that reapplying might work against me—especially since Cambridge deletes past applications, but some faculty might still remember applicants, especially from underrepresented regions.
So I’d love to hear your thoughts:
Has anyone reapplied to the MSt IR and been successful the second time?
Do you think reapplying is seen negatively if the same faculty are involved?
Should I briefly acknowledge my previous application in my statement to show reflection and growth—or just submit a fresh application with no reference?
Any insights would be greatly appreciated—especially from anyone who has been through something similar!

I don't suppose they get many re-applications, because most people who do the course are involved in a career, and a) the moment passes or b) they don't have the resources/opportunity/appetite to substantially change what they have to offer. Like any course, there will be re-applicants, no-one has the time or reason to wonder why, it's just a process, but if you can't change your application in a way that makes it more competitive - move on.

Reply 2

Anonymous #2

What was the question you fumbled over? Aspects of your thesis? Workload?

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

What was the question you fumbled over? Aspects of your thesis? Workload?

Thank you for your reply. I felt the interview was going quite well overall — I was comfortable discussing my academic background and the earlier questions. However, when it came to a question related to my proposal, I momentarily lost my train of thought, despite having a clear understanding of the topic. It was an unfortunate lapse.

Reply 4

Anonymous #3

If it helps I have been rejected 3 years in a row for an Mst I was wanting to do. Each time i put lot of effort, time and research and was ofc v dissapointed. I tried again this year, tried to be more tactical with my application and get more feedback from trusted peers and have been succesful this year!
So I would say don't give up just keep trying to improve... each time i look back at previous year application I was like oh, wasn't as good as I thought it was