The UCAS applications process for UK universities can appear daunting for students and teachers alike. With that said, educators play an important role in students’ success with their university applications. As such, it is paramount that educators understand the UK university application process.

This article aims to empower educators with the knowledge and tools to effectively guide students through the UCAS process, providing actionable insights to support students.

Overview of the UK University Application Process

UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) is an independent charity and the UK’s shared admissions service for higher education. Its services support young students, as well as mature learners, in writing and submitting applications to numerous higher education institutions across the country. 

All UK-based university applications are made through UCAS, with the admissions submission period typically taking place between September and January of Year 13. However, a student’s application journey typically starts about a year in advance of this deadline.

Understanding UCAS

UCAS, founded in 1993, is primarily responsible for processing applications for undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the UK. The organisation acts as an intermediary between the applicant and the universities they’re interested in, and provides relevant resources and support for submitting a strong application.

UCAS is a centralised service that allows students to submit multiple applications for different full-time undergraduate courses in the UK, all on one platform. UCAS then passes these application materials on to the chosen institutions.

As part of their applications, a student is responsible for the following:

• Registering on the UCAS platform
• Entering relevant educational and employment information
• Submitting a personal statement
• Sharing their UCAS application with a chosen tutor, who can then send a reference to UCAS

Once submitted, it’s the responsibility of UCAS to send this information to a student’s chosen universities, and the waiting game begins!

Ultimately, UCAS serves to simplify the application process for students and educators, as it provides a means of communicating with multiple universities via one system. 

Key application deadlines

The UCAS process is easy to get started with, but students should ensure that they do not leave applying to the last minute, as meeting the relevant deadlines is crucial for a successful application.

Educators can play a central role in getting students started on their UK university applications well in advance of deadlines. The following timeline outlines essential application deadlines for students:

September – May (Year 12): Pre-Application Research

• Find out more about different courses and decide which subject area is right for them.
• Decide what they want from a university by researching different institutions.
• Attend UCAS exhibitions to meet representatives from different universities and ask questions.
• Attend open days at prospective universities.
• Discuss predicted results and potential references with tutors.
• Choose which courses/modules to apply to.

May – January (Year 12/Year 13): Research and Apply

• Attend open days of universities they’re most interested in applying to.
• Write their personal statement.
• Ask a tutor to write a reference letter to support their application.
• Complete and submit their UCAS application form.

Other Important Dates

• May 2024: Undergraduate applications open for 2025 entry
• September 2024: UCAS applications open
• October 2024: Applications for the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and most Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Science courses to be submitted to UCAS by 6pm (UK time)
• January 2025: Deadline for remaining UK/EU applications (UK applications to be submitted via the UCAS platform by 6pm (UK time))
• June 2025: Deadline for most international applications

It is important to note that the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge do have earlier application deadlines to other universities. The UCAS deadline for Oxbridge applications is usually 15th October, except where this date falls on a weekend. It is important to check the specific dates for each year.

Components of a typical application

The UCAS application can take a bit of time to complete, and it’s useful for educators to familiarise students with the different components of a typical application. These include:

• Personal Details
• Educational History
• Employment History
• Selection of Course Choices. Students can choose a maximum of five courses. Some universities do have their own specific requirements and protocols which a student will need to check. This includes the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
• Personal Statement. This is perhaps the most important aspect of a UCAS application. This is an opportunity for students to tell universities why they’d like to study with them, while evidencing the unique skills and experience that support their candidacy.
• Academic References
• Additional Requirements. These include academic transcripts and, where relevant, an English language proficiency test.

Students should approach each of these components with care, placing particular emphasis on the personal statement and academic reference. These are the areas where a student can really set themselves apart from other candidates and put together a well-rounded application.

Navigating UCAS

While the UCAS system may feel overwhelming at first glance, familiarising yourself with this platform will ensure you can adequately support a successful student application. There are a few easy steps that can help educators and students navigate UCAS.

Registering on UCAS

Students can register with UCAS by going to the UCAS Hub and confirming the year they want to start their studies as an undergraduate. Once this registration step is completed, they can begin their application.

In order to create a strong and secure profile, students should:

1. Choose a strong password using three random words
2. Use unique passwords for each application-related platform (for some, this may just be the UCAS portal)
3. Enable two-factor authentication where possible
4. Routinely change their password throughout the application process

When students register with UCAS, they will also be required to complete a set of mandatory questions that must be answered before applications can be sent to universities. There are some questions specifically for UK students about personal context – these are confidential and will only be shared with universities where a place has been secured.

If a student is applying from outside the UK, they will need to give further information regarding their nationality and residency status.

Ultimately, it’s important that students ensure the information they share at registration is accurate. You should encourage double and triple-checking in advance of submission.

Managing student profiles

Educators can assist students in creating comprehensive UCAS profiles by supporting them from the start of the application process, and routinely checking that the information provided is accurate and up-to-date – for example, if employment history or residency details change over time. 

It’s important for students to enter all qualifications from secondary school onwards, even if they are still waiting on exam results. 

Additionally, encourage students to mention any unpaid or voluntary work in their personal statement – only paid opportunities should be included in the experience section.

UCAS allows students to save their progress and return to the application at a later date, so encourage students to take the time to submit detailed and accurate sections that are representative of their abilities. A well-curated profile indicates to universities that a student is attentive to detail, organised and able to excel in a variety of areas, from the personal to the professional.

Submitting applications

Once all the required components have been filled out, a student can submit their UCAS application. It is incredibly important that an application has been thoroughly reviewed by both the student and a trusted educator and/or mentor prior to submission. The information shared at this point is the same information that is sent to prospective universities.

The submission process also relies upon the inclusion of an academic reference. After a student has filled in all of the required profile information, they will need to provide the contact details for one tutor who has agreed to supply a reference on their behalf. An application will not be submitted until the referee attaches their reference to the student’s application.

Once this has been accomplished, a student should upload their personal statement and any relevant supporting documentation. This typically includes academic transcripts and, where applicable, any English language proficiency tests.

Finally, students must pay the UCAS application fee. For courses starting in 2024, the single application fee was replaced with a one-off application fee covering up to five university choices.

Supporting Students in Personal Statement Writing

Arguably, the most important aspect of the UK university application process is the UCAS personal statement. This is a student’s opportunity to showcase their unique skills and justify their suitability for the chosen course.

The personal statement is a chance for students to talk about themselves and their personal interests, their experiences beyond academic grades, and the distinct attributes that make them different from other candidates. The personal statement should address four main questions:

• Why is the student applying?
• Why are they interested (in a course and/or university)?
• Do their studies relate?
• Why will they be great?

Admissions tutors will be reading lots of personal statements following the UCAS submission deadline, so it’s important that students capture their attention from the start. The personal statement can only be 4,000 characters, which is about two sides of A4.

Please note: As of January 2023, UCAS has announced that the structure of personal statements will be changing for the 2025/26 admissions cycle and beyond. This means that changes will be implemented from October 2025 onwards.

Tips for effective personal statement writing

There are various ways to craft an insightful and engaging personal statement, even within a limited word count. The personal statement is a chance to make an application shine, and a well-written statement should showcase a student’s unique motivations, interests and relevant skills. 

When structuring their personal statements, students should consider:

1. Starting with an engaging introduction. This sets the tone for the rest of the personal statement and should grab an admission committee’s attention, while identifying a student’s particular interest in a given field or topic of study.

2. Maintaining a coherent and logical flow of points. This could be chronological or thematic, but should be consistent throughout.

3. Highlighting how skills and achievements relate to their academic plans and choice of course. This demonstrates that a candidate is uniquely suited to a given course.

4. Ending with an engaging conclusion. This emphasises the points already made and demonstrates a student’s ongoing enthusiasm for a certain course or university.

A personal statement also allows room to showcase relevant extracurricular skills and future goals, helping to demonstrate a holistic profile.

Common mistakes to avoid

There are some common pitfalls that students should try to avoid when crafting their UCAS personal statements. Help your students steer clear of these, by:

1. Avoiding cliches. Admissions teams read many personal statements, and students should aim to make their statement stand out among the crowd. Encourage students to offer personal examples and anecdotes to demonstrate their successes and passions.

2. Maintaining a formal writing style. Given the limited number of characters for the UCAS personal statement, it’s important for students to get right to the point. This can be accomplished by using a formal and sophisticated writing style which doesn’t waffle, highlighting only the most important information that isn’t already evidenced in another part of the application.

3. Make sure the statement is reviewed and edited. A second set of eyes allows students to identify any errors or problems with their personal statement draft.

Ultimately, a successful personal statement will highlight a student’s unique skills and capabilities without sounding generic in tone or content.

Understanding References

The academic reference is a fantastic way for a student’s academic potential and personal passions to be highlighted, especially if these are not wholly represented by the profile section or UCAS personal statement.

As noted above, the reference is submitted directly by the referee, whose contact information will be submitted by the applicant on the UCAS Hub. It is important that the referee is aware of relevant submission deadlines and uploads their letter well in advance of these dates – a student cannot submit their UCAS application until the reference has been shared.

How to write a strong reference for UCAS applications

There are numerous ways to craft a strong reference for UCAS undergraduate applications. You can ensure you’ve written a strong reference by:

1. Providing evidence of a student’s suitability for the course choices
2. Highlighting a student’s performance and academic ability, setting them apart from other university candidates
3. Identifying cases where an applicant is the strongest performer in their cohort or extracurricular achievements
4. Showcasing anecdotes or individual experiences that have demonstrated a student’s potential for success

The reference can also acknowledge a student’s predicted grades for pending qualifications, and include any circumstances that have impacted their academic work or other achievements, such as illness, personal problems or individual needs. These should only be added with the student’s permission.  

You should also consider that this is also a character reference – educational accomplishment and a holistic view of the candidate should be given equal weight in the reference letter. Additionally, a strong reference should describe the applicant’s ambitions and work ethic, and offer insight into their personal strengths and suitability for a chosen course.

Preparing Students for Interviews and Admission Tests

Once the UCAS application has been submitted, some chosen universities might offer an interview as part of their selection process. Interviews and admissions tests help university tutors compare prospective applicants and decide who is particularly suited to a chosen course. Invitations to interview, or information on relevant admissions tests, can be sent to candidates directly or via the UCAS portal – a piece of information that may be useful to share with students.

Preparing for university interviews

It can feel quite daunting to prepare for a university interview, especially when it is unclear which questions will be asked by admissions panels. With that said, you can help a student prepare for  interview by:

• Making sure they know the date, time and location of their interview. It’s important that they make arrangements to arrive at the interview location with plenty of time to spare.
• Encouraging students to review their application material and to come up with a set of questions for the interviewers as well.
• Conducting mock interviews with students, allowing them to learn more about the sorts of questions that might be asked and the kind of answers to prepare. Mock interviews are especially useful in boosting student confidence, while also providing educators a space to offer constructive feedback in advance of the interview itself.

Students can also prepare for university interviews by reviewing common interview questions. There are always several recurring themes or question types used by admissions panels, and reviewing previous questions can often help to alleviate student nerves and prepare applicants accordingly.

Preparing for admission tests

In addition to university interviews, certain applicants will need to take admissions tests relevant to different undergraduate courses. These include, but aren’t limited to:

Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

The BMAT is used by universities around the world to help select applicants for medical, dental, biomedical and veterinary degree programmes. It tests students’ ability to apply scientific and mathematical knowledge, as well as problem solving and critical thinking abilities.

National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)

The Law National Aptitude test helps applicants understand if law is the right career path for them, while helping universities determine which applicants possess the relevant critical skills and knowledge to succeed on an undergraduate Law course.

Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT)

The MAT is a subject-specific admissions test, lasting two hours and 30 minutes and sat under timed conditions. This assessment is a hybrid test, designed to be accessible for all students. It aims to test the depth of mathematical understanding that would correspond with AS-level Maths.

Please note: The BMAT is being phased out from the 2024 admissions cycle. 

The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge each operate a series of university-specific admissions tests dependent upon a student’s course choice. These range from an English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT) at Oxford to a Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA) at Cambridge.

Navigating the Conditional Offer System

UCAS operates a conditional offer system, which may appear confusing or unfamiliar for prospective undergraduate students. However, an understanding of conditional offers is especially important to securing a place at a chosen university.

What are conditional offers?

Conditional offers are one of three offer types that are typically made by UK universities during the undergraduate application process (in addition to conditional and unsuccessful). These offers often see a university offer an applicant a place on the condition that they satisfy certain requirements. 

In most cases, this includes achieving certain examination results and final grades. It is imperative that students carefully review conditional offers, as meeting the requirements by the designated deadlines will determine their university place.

Conditional offers are communicated to students via the UCAS Hub. Educators should encourage applicants to routinely check the progress of their applications and keep their personal details up-to-date to avoid missing notifications of offers.

For most people, a conditional offer often means waiting for results day in the summer. A conditional offer might look like this:

• A-level grades AAB with an A in chemistry and at least two other sciences or mathematics
• Scottish Higher grades of BBBB
• 36 points from the International Baccalaureate Diploma, including a six in Higher Level English
• 88 UCAS Tariff points, of which at least 60 must be obtained from two A-levels

Students might also receive a conditional offer that will change to unconditional if firmly accepted, in lieu of any academic conditions.

Managing firm and insurance choices

Once unconditional and conditional offers are presented and a student is ready to choose a course, they can respond to offers in UCAS. There are two types of choices that can be made:

• Firm acceptance – this is a first choice. If it’s an unconditional offer, the place is confirmed, and if it’s a conditional offer the place is confirmed once the student has met the conditions.
• Insurance acceptance – this is the back-up choice in case the student doesn’t meet the conditions of their first choice. It’s recommended that students choose a university with lower conditions that they’d still be happy to go to.

A student can only accept one firm and one insurance place, with all other offers declined. As such, this is an immensely important time for applicants to consider various factors concerning their prospective undergraduate education. In particular, students should take the time to consider:

• the universities are a suitable and realistic fit
• if they are likely to achieve the relevant grades in the summer 
• the financial and social requirements of each university

Educators can also provide insights around changing university choices if needed. Students with unconditional offers can decline their place and apply for an alternative choice via the Clearing process.

Clearing

Clearing is a process through which colleges and universities fill available places on courses. Students typically can apply for a course using Clearing from July to October of the year they are meant to enrol in university, provided they fit the following criteria:

• Applying after 30th June
• Did not receive any offers (or none that they ultimately wanted to accept)
• Did not meet the conditions of an unconditional offer
• Declined a firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button on the UCAS application

Students in Clearing will typically be matched to courses they may be interested in, with UCAS comparing information they have about both university requirements and applicant profiles. Applicants can then tell universities they are interested in a given course, and those with vacancies may contact the student about potential places.

The UCAS application is an important part of a student’s journey to study at a UK university, and educators play a significant role in preparing applicants for success. As always, reach out to our LinkedIn Head of Futures group for further assistance – we look forward to supporting students with their academic aspirations!