A guide to higher education admissions through UCAS :Cross Stitch – Education and learning

There are six steps to follow when you’re looking to get a university or college place through UCAS.

You usually apply in the academic year before you plan to go to college. The earliest you can submit a finished application is the September before you want to start your course (unless you are applying to defer your place until the following year).

If you haven’t done your exams by this stage, your application will be based on the grades your teachers or lecturers predict you will achieve.

To find out how to apply, and about the deadlines you’ll need to meet, see ‘Completing your UCAS application’.

Once you’ve applied to UCAS, your application gets passed to the institutions you’ve chosen.

Each university or college has its own application procedure. Some may ask you to come for interview and you may also be asked to take a test. Others may offer you a place based on the information on your application.

It’s best to apply for finance as soon as possible

Once you’ve made your UCAS application, you can apply for financial help as soon as student finance applications open. You don’t need to wait for an offer.

To find out how much you could get, and how to apply online, see the ‘Student finance’ section.

Step four: getting an offer

Offers will either be conditional (dependent on getting certain grades on your current course) or unconditional (if you already have the qualifications required).

If you haven’t done your exams yet, you can accept one offer firmly and another as an ‘insurance’ back-up.

If you get the grades you need for a conditional offer, your university or college will confirm your place. UCAS will send you a formal letter of confirmation.

If your results are better than expected

If you not only meet all the conditions of your firm choice, but also exceed them (for example, by getting higher grades than you need), you can use ‘Adjustment’ to look at other options.

‘Adjustment’ is a new service that lets you search for other courses for a short time while holding on to your original confirmed place.

You register for ‘Adjustment’ using the Track service on the UCAS website.