Application Status @ Cambridge

[la la la la]

Hi. At the risk of sounding enormously stupid, what does this mean: "Awaiting approval by GAO" (Graduate Admissions Office)? What's the significance of the term? I mean is it a good thing if the status changed to that or is it a non-material equivalent of 'Under review by the department'?

 

Thank you

[brainlass]

I don't know about Cambridge in particular, but I know that in general, admissions takes two stages: First, the department comes to a decision, and then they recommend you to the School of Graduate Studies for admission. In North America, at least, the second stage is really just a formality. The SGS approves whatever students the department wants to admit, unless there's some discrepancy whereby the applicant was missing some fundamental prerequisite and the department wants to override that.

It's possible that it works differently in the UK, but it sounds to me like you're accepted (and pending formal offer from the GAO)!