Applying to university
What to consider during the application process
If you’re looking to study an undergrad degree at uni, you'll need to complete a UCAS application online.
There are lots of boxes to tick. But have no fear – we're here to help. On this page, you'll find out everything you need to know about the process, including how to respond to offers, submission deadlines and more, ready to fly through your UCAS application.
Get to grips with the UCAS process
Applying to university through UCAS
UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) handles most undergraduate applications for UK universities. It's handy, because it means you don't have to apply to individual universities directly.
If your school or college is registered with UCAS, speak to them about submitting your application online and when to do this. If you're applying as an individual, register on the UCAS website and complete your application this way.
You can apply to nearly every undergraduate course via UCAS and your actual application is broken down into 4 simple sections:
Section 1: Personal information
Pop in all your personal details such as name(s), address, date of birth and contact numbers. This is also where you will make your course choices, so make a note of course codes and university institution codes – the University of Portsmouth code is P80.
Section 2: Qualifications and work experience
Here's where you'll add additional information, such as the qualifications you have, including GCSEs and A-levels, and whether you have a part-time job. So keep your grades to hand for this step.
Section 3: Your personal statement
This is your chance to show off. Add your personal statement, which can be up to 47 lines or a maximum of 4000 characters and bring your application to colour. Need help writing your personal statement? Jump into our acclaimed Personal Statement Hub for tips and advice on structure and writing, and to get feedback on your drafts from our expert team.
Section 4: Teacher reference
Your teacher will write a reference about your predicted grades, skills and achievements. This is added in section 4, so ensure that you've contacted your referee and they've agreed to provide your reference online. If you have specific information or any pending qualifications, discuss whether they can provide these details in your reference.
Before you apply for a course
Check entry requirements
When applying for a Bachelor's degree or another undergraduate course, you need to check you'll meet the entry requirements. You'll find these on your chosen universities webpage and course pages, or you can chat to staff at Open Days.
Check application fees
The fee for your UCAS application will depend on how many courses you apply for. The fee is small but changes annually, so check the UCAS website for up-to-date info.
As you apply through UCAS
Apply for up 5 courses
Remember that you can apply to a maximum of 5 courses. These can be at the same university or different universities, depending on what takes your fancy.
Research the modules you’ll be studying, the entry requirements for the courses and refer to league tables to make sure you’re happy with the ranking of the course. Check your entry requirements are matched, or very similar to those of the courses you want to apply for.
Be accurate
There are a team of people who read your application. Each faculty has dedicated admissions tutors who will read your application and make sure you’re the right fit for the course. So make sure you allow plenty of time to make sure your application is correct.
After you apply
Once you’ve processed your application, universities will review and consider whether to make you an offer on their course. And if you fancy finding out more about this stage, head over to our After applying to uni page.
3 types of offers
1. Conditional offer (C)
You have a place based on you achieving certain entry requirements.
2. Unconditional offer (UC)
You have been accepted regardless of your results, usually awarded when you've already sat your exams.
3. Unsuccessful or declined offer
This unfortunately means you've not been offered a place.
Accepting offers and UCAS Track
Try not to make any decisions until you've heard back from all of the universities you've applied to. You'll hear back from all universities via UCAS Track, so check your UCAS track for more details after you've submitted your application.
Once you've heard back from your universities, it's up to you to decide who you're going to hold your offers with. You can hold a maximum of 2 offers.
The first offer will be your firm acceptance, which is your first choice. This is where you'll go if you meet the entry requirements. Your second choice will be your insurance choice, which acts as your backup if you don't get into your firm choice. Your insurance choice should usually have a lower entry requirement than your firm choice.
When to apply
You can start your application in the UCAS Hub and submit from – September the year before you expect to start uni.
The deadline for applying to courses like medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry is earlier than for other courses. You'll also have an earlier deadline if you are thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge.
It's usually in October but check online for deadlines for when you’re applying. Remember, if you're applying to other universities or courses with a different deadline, you can add these at a later date, but you still only get 5 choices in total.
For the majority of courses, applications usually have to be submitted in January. If you’re applying through your school or college, they're likely to have an earlier internal deadline, so that they can read your application and write your reference. For a lot of schools, this will be before the winter break, but check with your tutor or careers adviser if you're unsure.
