UCAS - How to apply

How to apply

Applying for higher education courses has never been easier. All the information needed is available on this website, along with Apply, the online application system.

All schools and colleges offer the opportunity to apply using a personal computer, if internet access is not available at home. There are online centres that also offer computer access to students who are not studying at a school or college. Visit www.ukonlinecentres.com to search for your nearest centre.

Application fee

2013 entry: the application fee is £23 for a maximum of five choices and £12 for a single choice.

Making choices

A maximum of five choices is available. Some students make just one choice at a local university; others go for two different courses; the majority of students pick the same subject at five different places.
Tip: making the right choices matters - students should only apply to places they want to go to. If they have not used all their choices, they might be able to add another later, depending on their status.
With over 50,000 courses in the UCAS system, and each with a unique code, it is very important that your son or daughter double-checks that they're applying for the correct course.
Each university can view the application at the same time; choices are not listed in preference order.
Universities cannot see where else your son or daughter has applied. They will only see any other choices after you have replied to your offers.
The distance between the chosen university and your family home will affect you as well as your son or daughter.

Personal statement

Using a mouse

The personal statement is your son or daughter's opportunity to tell universities and colleges about their suitability for the course. They need to demonstrate their enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that they stand out from the crowd.

Some course tutors find personal statements crucial when making decisions, whereas others might not put as much emphasis on them. Since your son or daughter doesn't know who will be looking at their statement, the safest thing is to do a good job. In many cases, applicants are not interviewed, so this may be their only chance to make the case for them to be offered a place. The person reading the statement is an expert in the chosen area of interest so they will want to know the reasons why they have chosen the subject.

You may find it useful to read the guidance notes about the UCAS Similarity Detection Service, which are published in the students' section of this site and explains how we detect plagiarism in personal statements.

Sending the application

When students applying through their school or college have completed the application, their referee will write a reference and send the application to us.

The payment method will depend on the school's or college's policy. They might ask students to pay us by credit or debit card before submitting the application, or they might ask that payment for the application be given to the school or college and we will then invoice them.

Nominated access

Your son or daughter can choose someone who can act on their behalf if they are likely to be away at any time during the application period, for example on a gap year. The person they appoint has the authority to discuss your son's or daughter's application with UCAS and make decisions on their behalf. We advise applicants to choose a parent or guardian.

If your son or daughter chooses to appoint someone, they will enter the person's name and their relationship on their application. At present, universities and colleges have their own policies for discussing applications.

Detailed information about completing an application is in the students' section