UCAS - Applying to university through UCAS

Applying to university through UCAS - the first steps

The first stage of the UCAS application process is to register your details.

Applying to university involves lots of careful research, talking to institutions and advisers and thinking about how you want to spend the next few years studying. But to get the ball rolling, you first need to register with UCAS.

The first step is to register to use Apply, the UCAS online application system. This involves filling in some personal details, such as first and last names, title, gender, date of birth and contact details.

You will be asked to enter an email address, which will have to be verified. This allows UCAS to keep you up-to-date with alerts about any changes to the status of your application.

The good thing is you only have to do this all once, though you can change the details when you complete your application. You can also choose to nominate someone such as a parent or guardian, who can discuss your application if you are unavailable for any reason, though this is not compulsory.

You will be asked for some extra information to allow universities and colleges to work out the tuition fees you may have to pay and any entitlements you could qualify for. Here you will input your residential status, whether you plan to look for funding or sponsorship, and if you have any disabilities or special needs.

For people permanently resident in the UK, there will be further sections on ethnic origin and national identity to fill in. You can also list up to two activities you are doing in preparation for higher education such as summer schools or taster courses. In addition, there will be drop-down lists to enter details about your care, parental education and occupational background.

By registering with UCAS you will receive a username. You then create a password and you can start logging into your application. Just remember to keep these safe and that it's all case sensitive, so be careful with your password. You will also have to choose four security questions and provide answers.

Registration can be done in one of two ways - either as an individual or through a school, college or centre. As an individual you will have to answer a few questions to make sure you are eligible to apply.

For applying through a school, college or centre you will need a "buzzword" from them which links your application to your centre. After finalising your application, it goes to your referee to add their reference. They will also check and approve the application and send it straight to UCAS.

Once all that is done, you can start adding your choices - up to five - and begin working on your Personal Statement. Remember that time is running out for anyone who wants to apply to Oxford or Cambridge and for people who have included choices for courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine/science at any university. The deadline for these to reach UCAS is October 15th - so it's time to register if you haven't already.

2011-09-22

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