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Applications - an outline
All applications for the following full-time and sandwich courses at our member institutions are made through our application process.
First Degree
Diploma of Higher Education
Foundation degree
Certificate of Higher Education
Higher National Diploma
Higher National Certificate
Some University Diplomas
Postgraduate Social Work
Applications
Applicants can make up to five choices. However, there are restrictions for some types of course. Applicants use Apply, our online application system, to submit their completed application. Applications are then processed according to our timetables and are handled in a confidential and unbiased manner. They are sent to the chosen institutions for consideration. Once applicants have indicated if they intend to accept or hold your offers, they are ready for Confirmation. This is the final decision to be made on the application.
Extended character sets
UCAS applicants and referees can enter some European characters that are not in the English alphabet (extended character sets) in certain fields of Apply and Track. We are doing this to support the Welsh Language Act (1993), and in doing so, further allowing applicants to enter other European characters. Information shown to applicants in Apply will refer to the extended characters as 'European characters'.
Fields marked with the symbol 'Æ' in the following sections of Apply will accept European characters (the 'Æ' symbol will only be displayed if a European character has been entered):
- personal details
- personal statement
- employment
- referee details
- reference.
Applicants can also enter European characters if they change their address in Track.
Not all institutions can view these characters correctly, so a version of the application with substituted English characters will also made available to them. If a European character is entered in Apply or Track, a warning message will appear on the screen. The applicant or referee will need to view and agree to the substituted characters version of each section in which they have entered European characters before submitting their application or reference.
This change will allow applicants and referees to use characters from the following Unicode character sets:
- Basic Latin (excluding C0 control characters)
- Latin-1 (excluding C1 control characters)
- Latin Extended A
- Latin Extended B
- Latin Extended Additional.
If a European character is entered that does not have a valid substitution, we will insert the character '#'.
View a full list of character substitutions from the Unicode extended character to ASCII English character version (PDF) (February 2011).
Extra
Extra is a procedure which gives applicants who have used all five choices, but are holding no offers, the opportunity to make a further choice or choices. You make conditional, unconditional or unsuccessful decisions. Applicants may accept an offer firmly or decline it. Find out more about Extra
Clearing
Clearing is the last opportunity for those applicants not holding a place to be considered by institutions with course vacancies. It also provides an opportunity to gain a place for those making very late initial applications. We collect and publish vacancy information on this website. The applicant makes direct contact with admissions staff. Find out more about Clearing
Personal ID and Application Scheme Code
We allocate a 10-digit Personal ID to anyone registering for our services. We print this on any letter we send to an applicant. The Application Scheme Code field is made up of a scheme code and a sequential number to indicate the numer of applications that an applicant has made through the scheme. The Application Scheme Code together with the Personal ID will allow the unique identification of an applicant's details on our systems.