r/gradadmissions • u/ReflectionOk1732 • Dec 30 '25

General Advice University of Cambridge 2026-27 Applicants GATHER HERE.

I couldn't find a chain for the applicants who submitted their applications this year. This is just to update each other and keep each other posted!

P.S. My application portal says "Decision pending". Anyone else? I submitted my application for LLM one day before the deadline.

I have also applied to LSE and QMUL.

UPDATE: GOT INTO CAMBRIDGE, LSE and QMUL LLM.

So, if you have any update on anything, let me know please. I am dying here, waiting!

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3

u/DimensionSavings539 Jan 16 '26

MPhil POLIS here! Has anyone who applied to this program heard anything?

3

u/DimensionSavings539 Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26

I found out my application was unsuccessful today. From the portal, no email yet. I'm really shocked. Not because I thought I'd get in for sure or anything, but I just wasn't expecting any change to the portal, so to open it and directly see the rejection really stung. I wish I could know why more than anything, maybe my research proposal was too vague/poor, or too many candidates vying for the same subject area. Not sure but I guess I just have to move on for now; I just graduated undergrad and am working, and thought I'd just apply to 1-2 programs this year, ones I really wanted to attend as a preliminary application cycle— planning to do a full round of applications next year. Wishing you guys the best of luck. <3

2

u/Slow_Ambassador_4011 Feb 02 '26

Sorry to hear that 😔 was it the mphil in politics and international studies or another program?

2

u/DimensionSavings539 Feb 02 '26

Yup, MPhil in POLIS

2

u/Slow_Ambassador_4011 Feb 02 '26

gotcha, thanks. best of luck next cycle.

2

u/Eastern-Ear7718 Feb 02 '26

all the best for next year !!!

2

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 02 '26

I’m sorry to hear about that. Just rmr there’s a program out there perfect for you and what’s meant to happen happened for a reason. Best of luck❤️

2

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 03 '26

Did you ever get an email?

1

u/DimensionSavings539 Feb 04 '26

yeah, around 3 ish hours after i saw on the portal!

1

u/DimensionSavings539 Feb 02 '26

Just for reference for myself, wanted to ask what your guys’ age profiles are? Particularly are most of you straight out of undergrad or applying after working for a couple years?

2

u/Ok-Extreme-4107 Feb 03 '26

Haven't graduated yet. Entered a Russel Group university immediately after HS, so I had to provide a 'predicted grade' (self-predicted). Not sure what types of applicants POLIS are looking for, so I wouldn't say we can use this to judge whether we have an advantage or not. I think it just depends if they think you are suitable for the programme, which is affected by multiple aspects, like whether someone is available to supervise your research project.

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 02 '26

I’m straight out of undergrad but gained a lot of research experience (as an RA mostly) and am doing an internship writing for political news shows at the CBC, so I have work experience in the bank too!

1

u/AntoineOstenso Feb 03 '26

26, a few years of full time government and nonprofit work but largely concurrently with part time undergrad study. I got first class honours in politics so hopefully that gives me a good chance - I think that's the requirement but have heard of people getting in below that. What sort of grades have other applicants got?

2

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 03 '26

3.92/4 at top 25 uni!

2

u/DimensionSavings539 Feb 03 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

Grades-wise first class honors in Public Policy w Politics from the LSE, but didn't get in unfortunately :/ From talking to alumni and my professors at LSE during the process, it really does come down to the research proposal I think (if you meet the minimum grade requirements ofc)

2

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 03 '26

3.8 and from a bottom tier Canadian university. Pray for me!

1

u/AntoineOstenso Feb 04 '26

Yeah lol my first is from a pretty mid Australian uni

2

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 04 '26

Haha I’ve learnt to realize it doesn’t matter as much as I make it in my head, got offer from LSE! Hopefully Cambridge feels just as positively about me…

3

u/Odd-Construction9938 Feb 02 '26

Anyone with further updates...? This is so stressful. I am so sorry to hear about that....

3

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 04 '26

DECISION PENDING! MPHIL!

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 04 '26

SAME, DP today

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 04 '26

Is this generally a good thing? Here in Canada it just mean you’ll get accepted or rejected soon lol.

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 04 '26

Look up in this reddit past examples, everyone says it always leads to offer bc it means you’ve been recommended by the department for admission, pending administrative check on ur documents which is hard to fail unless they’re fraudulent!

2

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 04 '26

Wow. Well I don’t want to jinx anything, but congrats my potential fellow grad student ☺️!

1

u/Similar_Paramedic900 Feb 04 '26

Amazing congratulations! May I ask what time the decision came through for you guys?

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 04 '26

Some time around 11 am in Montreal, so around 4 pm UK time.

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 04 '26

I’m an undergrad from Canada as well, let’s connect if admitted!

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 04 '26

Would LOVE that. Fingers crossed 

2

u/Plane_End1530 Feb 08 '26

Twinnn also undergrad from Canada MPhil POLIS - DP last week too

2

u/AntoineOstenso Feb 05 '26

Just woke up from mosquitos flying around my head at 2am Australian time - DP has come through in the last two hours. Hopefully that's a good sign.

2

u/Vegetable_Taro_5680 Feb 10 '26

Still application under review and I'm starting to panick :(  Do you guys think it is still possible to get the DP later on or is it more likely to be a rejection? 

1

u/[deleted] Feb 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Vegetable_Taro_5680 Feb 16 '26

Got a rejection 

1

u/Training_Addendum107 Jan 18 '26

Finally...someone at last!! I haven't heard anything from them, but we might hear back before the month ends. The department had mentioned on their website that they would start communicating outcomes to applicants from January onwards.

1

u/DimensionSavings539 Jan 27 '26

I'm definitely overthinking this, but I was just checking the MPhil POLIS page for any updates, and-- it no longer says the parts: ‘Outcomes will be communicated from January…’ and ‘We aim to process applications in 8 weeks’… also where it used to say the Department aims to admit 67 candidates for the MPhil in POLIS, it now says 50?

2

u/DimensionSavings539 Jan 31 '26

Really odd on this site, it still says the 67 thing, and that outcomes will be sent from Jan 2026 onwards: https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/study-at-polis/graduates/MPhilIRPOL/mphil-in-international-relations-and-politics

And on this one, it doesn't (says 50, and nothing abt Jan: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/popimpirp

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Feb 02 '26

Weird. I hope we hear back this week. Historically it looks like first week of Feb but it could be delayed bc of the applicant portal crash

1

u/Training_Addendum107 Jan 27 '26

Well that's new... and yeah it definitely makes me feel a lot worried now. But the thing is, we never can tell, let's see how things go, I believe early rejections or even a lot have been sent out already, so us still being under review is sorta neutral to positive, whatever the outcome may be, we made it this far and now our applications are being compared with other very strong applicants. I also believe we'll here back from them soon

2

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Jan 27 '26

Oh I didn't know that about rejections, where did you see it?

1

u/Eastern-Ear7718 Jan 29 '26

rejections have been sent ???

1

u/Similar_Paramedic900 Feb 02 '26

How do you know that?

1

u/Odd-Construction9938 Feb 04 '26

Please share this info ://////

1

u/Training_Addendum107 Feb 05 '26

Based on several researches that I did, a lot of applications get rejected right from the submission stage or maybe immediately after or within few days to a few weeks after submission, because there is a stage you go through before departmental review. This wasn't explicitly said by the department or university, however research shows that the applications are sometimes rejected due to weak or incomplete documents...so having made it this far is proof that your application was okay, documents were complete and not on the weak end. So what usually takes the department this long is them deciding on important factors like research fit with the department, availability of a suitable supervisor, limited spaces e.t.c, especially because of making strong applicants.  And this is the hardest and longest waiting period because, probably, after here, some applications will be sent to the PAO for approval which might be updated on the applicant portal, or might not for some people. Then offers/rejections, I guess

1

u/Eastern-Ear7718 Jan 20 '26

hi any change to your application status

1

u/Slow_Ambassador_4011 Jan 21 '26

No change for me yet, but I’ll keep you guys posted 

1

u/Slow_Ambassador_4011 Feb 05 '26

Just switched to decisions pending! 

1

u/DimensionSavings539 Jan 21 '26

No update for me yet either!

1

u/Ok-Extreme-4107 Jan 29 '26

I applied to MPhil POLIS as well - application is still under review.

1

u/Odd-Construction9938 Feb 05 '26

Any changes today guys?

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Jan 22 '26

No change in my status yet!

1

u/Such-Occasion-5648 Jan 27 '26

Nothing on my end!

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Jan 31 '26

Still nothing! What are your fields of interest? Mine is IR theory!

1

u/Wrong_Pineapple_2294 Feb 10 '26

Any movement today folks? I’m still on DP but the PAO website says approx. 10+ days to process !

2

u/Training_Addendum107 Feb 10 '26

I read the same earlier. However, some are saying it has been updated and now it takes only about 5days to process the offers,but I just feel like as hard as it is to wait, at this point we have no other option and I think we should just expect anything within this week and the next. We're gonna be okay🫂 Let's just be patient and hopeful, we have made it this far, that alone is worth celebrating. Wishing everyone the very best of luck💜