Note from UniTasterDays - a huge thanks to Carrie Williams at the University of South Wales. Carrie supplied this content for the UniTasterDays Students' Guide to University brochure.
Applying to university is one of the biggest decisions that you will make and that might seem really daunting right now. This short guide will provide you with an overview of the admissions process and highlight some of the important aspects and key dates to be aware of.
Once you have researched your options
and made your final university and course
choices, you will need to submit your
application through UCAS. Applications are
open from September and for those applying
to Oxbridge or for medicine, dentistry and
veterinary courses, applications must be
submitted in October.
For most students, applications will need to
be submitted to UCAS by the end of January,
the equal consideration deadline. Exact dates
can vary by a few days every year, so make
sure you check the UCAS website for the
most up-to-date information.
Once your application has been submitted, it
will be reviewed by admissions staff at each
university you have applied to. The academic
entry criteria, your predicted or actual grades,
personal statement and reference will be
considered before a decision is made.
Some universities may require further
information and invite you to attend an
interview, audition, or request a portfolio of
work (for art and design courses). You should
keep an eye on your UCAS Hub and email for
this information. It is important that you use
an email address you can access whilst still
at school or college and after you leave.
From January, many students will begin to
receive offers. Offers are displayed on your
UCAS Hub accounts and emailed to you
directly.
Waiting for offers can be nerve-wracking and
you may begin to worry if you don’t hear back
immediately or if your friends receive offers
before you. Universities respond at different
times due to varying admissions procedures
and you should not be concerned if your offers
take slightly longer than your friends.
If an offer has been made, it will be either
unconditional or conditional. An unconditional
offer means that you have a place on your
chosen course. A conditional offer means that
the university has accepted you subject to
meeting certain conditions – which is usually
related to exam results. The full conditions of
the offer are shown through your UCAS Hub.
It is also through the UCAS Hub that you can
respond to your offers, accepting your firm and
insurance choices and declining your remaining
offers.
If the university has decided not to offer a place,
you will receive an unsuccessful decision.
Sometimes the reason for this decision will
appear on your UCAS Hub, if not, you can
contact the university and ask for feedback.
A withdrawn application means that the
application has been withdrawn by you or
the university. If the university has withdrawn
the application, the reason will be displayed
through your UCAS Hub.
For those that have not been offered a place, it
is easy to panic and make a rushed decision.
However, there are still options available to you.
You can either add a choice through UCAS Extra
if eligible, or look for course availability later on
and apply through Clearing.
Universities will display their remaining course
places on their websites and will advertise via
UCAS. However, it is best to ring the universities
that you are interested in directly, and you can
do so from early July onwards.
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