Your reference

Step 2: Applying

Your referee should know you well enough to write about you and to comment on your suitability for higher education

References are usually written by someone who knows you academically. Most references will talk about you from a teacher's or tutor's perspective: how you work and interact with other students and teachers, for example. Your reference does not have to be academic, but if you're studying or have recently left school or college, a reference from your school or college will be expected.

In this section...

 

Who should write the reference?

  • Your referee should know you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.
  • If you're at school or college, or left recently, ask your principal, head teacher, teacher or tutor.
  • If you left school or college several years ago, ask your current or previous employer or in the case of voluntary work your supervisor.
  • If you've recently attended any training courses you could ask your training provider.
 

Who should not write the reference?

  • It is not permitted for family, friends, partners or ex-partners to write your reference. If we find this to be the case, your application may be cancelled.
 

A full written reference is required. The name and address of the referee is not sufficient, unless all your chosen universities and colleges have already agreed that no reference is required on your application. See the if no reference is needed advice below.

If you're in prison, your application must include a statement from the prison authorities, even if you're asking someone else to write your reference. The prison authority has to say whether you're suitable for a course of study, and whether you'll be able to accept a place for the start date chosen.

Your reference - practical tips

Your referee must write your reference in English (or it can be in Welsh if you're only applying to Welsh universities and colleges).

Most references will contain the following information:

  • their opinion of your suitability for a particular profession (eg you've demonstrated your dedication and calm nature for nursing)
  • your proposed career plan - if you have one - so make sure your referee is aware of your career ideas and any work experience
  • your performance in individual modules or course components: for example, if you were one mark from a higher grade, they may highlight this
  • anything that may have affected your academic work (eg an ongoing illness)
  • any other personal circumstances which may have affected, or will affect, your performance
  • any specific needs you may have, like a disability or learning difficulties, and how you cope with these at school or college.

Any health issues or disabilities can only be mentioned with your permission. If you have any issues that you would like the universities and colleges to be aware of when considering your application, these should be included in the reference rather than the personal statement, so discuss this with your referee.

Applying through a school, college or other organisation

You won't have access to your reference. This will be completed on your behalf by your centre.

  1. Check that each section of your application is correct and mark them all as complete.
  2. Pay for your application (if applicable) and send it online to your referee.
  3. Your referee will check and approve your application.
  4. Your referee will write the reference.
  5. Your centre will approve the reference and send it to us.
  6. We'll then process your application.

Applying as an individual

If you're applying independently but would like your reference to be written by a registered school, college or other organisation, you can request that the centre completes the reference for you in Apply. Go to the 'Options' section and click 'Ask a registered school, college or organisation to write your reference only'.

This means that the centre can write a reference for you but they won't be involved in the rest of your application. Once they have completed the reference, a red tick will be displayed next to 'Reference' section in the left-hand navigation.

If your referee is not at a registered centre, you'll need to explain what they should do. Print the guide to writing references page and give it to your referee so that they can prepare a reference and send it to you. You won't be able to send your application to us if you enter only the contact details for your referee.

There is space for 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes first, for your reference. When you preview or save a pasted-in reference, the system will tell you how many more characters and lines are still available or if you have used too many characters. If your reference doesn't fit into the box, request a shorter version from your referee - don't edit it yourself. You can view the layout and format of any text you have entered before or after you have saved it.

Unfortunately, bold, italics, underlining or foreign characters (such as á, ë, õ) can't be used in the reference. If these are used, they will be removed from the text when your reference is saved.

  1. Check that each section of your application is correct and mark them all as complete.
  2. In the reference section, enter the contact details for your referee: name, relationship to you (eg tutor, teacher, employer), name and address of their organisation, telephone / fax number, email address.

    You have to enter your referee's telephone number and/or email address before you can complete this section.

  3. Enter the reference into the space provided. This can be done in two ways:

    • your referee can give you the reference to enter into Apply - you'll find it easiest if he/she sends the reference to you as a Word document, so that you can copy and paste it
    • you can log in to your application with your referee next to you and they can enter the reference directly into Apply. If you give your login details to your referee, they will have access to your entire application.

    Save your reference at regular intervals because the application system will time-out after 35 minutes of inactivity.

  4. Preview the reference and mark it as complete.
  5. Click on 'send to UCAS' and follow the instructions.
  6. Enter your payment details and send the application to us.
  7. We will then process your application.

We ask you to declare that all the information on your application is true, complete and accurate. We have the right to cancel applications that contain any false, misleading or incomplete information. You must not write all or any part of your reference yourself, or edit the wording of your reference. When we send your application to the universities and colleges, we will tell them that you have added the reference. You should be aware that each institution to which you apply may contact your referee to discuss your reference.

If no reference is needed

You need to provide details for a referee and a reference unless all your universities and colleges have already agreed that no reference is required.

If you don't need one, please enter:

'not required' in the fields for name of referee, post/occupation/ relationship, organisation name, address (first two lines only), telephone and email

and

'I have agreed with my choice(s) of university or college that no reference is required on my application' in the reference field.

You can then mark the reference section as complete.