Applying to university can seem confusing, daunting and even overwhelming. But it doesn’t need to be. The process has been designed to make it as easy as possible for you.
All applications to universities in the UK are made through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). Although it might seem confusing at first, the system has been designed to be straightforward and ensure you can keep track of your application, choices, and offers.
How to begin: Register in the UCAS Hub and complete the registration questions – confirming the year you want to start your studies and that you’re interested in ‘Undergraduate’ level of study. You’ll then be taken to your UCAS Hub dashboard, where you’ll see a tile called ‘Your application’. Simply click ‘Start’ to begin your application.
When completing your application, make sure you enter your first name and middle name(s) exactly as they’re stated on official documents, such as your passport. If you only have one name, enter it in both the first name and last name fields on the application.
Next, you will be able to choose your courses – you select up to five but they won’t be able to see where else you’ve applied and there’s no preference order. For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or veterinary science, you can only apply to a maximum of four courses in any one of these subjects. You can only apply to one course at either the universities of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.
The next step is entering all your qualifications, whether you have the results or are still awaiting them. You then need to add in details of any paid jobs and include company names, addresses, job descriptions, and start and finish dates.
Next, you will have to write a personal statement – this is your chance to show universities or colleges why you want to study the course and why you would make a great student. Make sure to check your application carefully before marking it as complete.
Get a reference – this is a written recommendation normally from a teacher, advisor, or professional who knows you academically. After you’ve sent your application to UCAS, it will be processed and you will be sent a welcome email containing your Personal ID, which will enable you to track its progress.
Key terms: Extra is a free service and allows students to apply to one course at a time. To be eligible, you need to have had no offers. If you’ve had no offers or your exams don’t go to plan, there’s always Clearing. It’s how universities and colleges fill any places they still have. You need to contact course providers directly if you see a course that interests you. You can also use Clearing if you’ve done better than expected in your A-levels and wish to apply for a new course/university.
