You will submit your application to your chosen courses via UCAS between September and January of year 13, but your application journey will start about one year before this. Here’s our step-by-step guide of what to do during the application process.
Timeline for undergraduate applications
- Find out about courses and decide which subject area is for you.
- Decide what you want from a university by researching different institutions.
- Attend UCAS exhibitions to meet representatives from different universities and ask questions.
- Read prospectuses and visit websites from a range of universities to get a sense of what they’re all like.
- Attend open days.
- Discuss predicted grades with teachers.
- Choose which 5 courses to apply to.
- Attend open days.
- Write your personal statement.
- Have a reference written by a teacher to support your application.
- Take any additional admissions tests.
- Complete and submit your UCAS application forms.
- You'll receive offers, declines or invitations to interview for the courses you applied to.
- You'll be given a personal deadline by UCAS for when you have to accept or decline your offers.
- Apply for student finance.
- Attend applicant days to help you decide which university is right for you.
- Reapply via UCAS Extra if you did not receive any offers.
- Decide on your firm and insurance choices.
- Accept or decline your offers.
Remember if you do not do this by the deadline UCAS has given you, UCAS will automatically decline all of your offers.
- Confirmation of your place at your first choice university from UCAS.
- If you did not quite meet the conditions of the offer, contact your first choice university - they may still be able to offer you a place in some cases.
- Contact your insurance choice if you have not been accepted by your first choice.
Didn't meet your first choice offer conditions or changed your mind? Decide whether to go through Clearing.
Remember that for some courses you will have to apply directly to the University.