How university applications work

Applying through UCAS

UCAS is the central service that all students need to use when applying to study for a full-time degree in the UK.

Instead of applying directly to a university, your child will submit and track their application through the UCAS website. The site is full of helpful advice and videos to guide them through the process. If they are based at a school or college then their teachers and careers advisers should be able to assist them with their application.

Check the entry requirements

Your child should look carefully at the entry requirements for the courses they’re interested in. As these vary between universities. Most (including ourselves) accept a wide range of qualifications, including A Levels, BTECs, the new T Levels and equivalent international qualifications.

After your child has applied – what happens next?

After your child has submitted their UCAS application it can be anxious time. While they wait to hear back from the universities they’ve applied for. 

They’ll be able keep track of everything by logging into the UCAS online system known as the UCAS Hub (previously UCAS Track). This displays any offers or rejections they’ve received from their chosen universities. It will also give them the option to either accept or decline them.

UCAS will set a deadline for your child to respond to and accept or decline any offers they’ve received. If they don’t respond then their offers will automatically be declined, so it’s essential that they meet the deadline.