UCAS is not involved in choosing applicants; rather it is interested in assisting students. It is seen as a fair, if complicated, system as rather than relying solely on pure academic achievement. Applications are now all made online; making it easy for you to track progress via the internet and make any necessary updates or changes with minimal fuss...

Personal Statement
Some would regard the personal statement as being the most important part of a UCAS form; whatever your opinion may be, it is undoubtedly the aspect over which the potential entrant has most control. It is imperative to really sell yourself. Universities can get a sense of the student through this medium and so explaining why you have chosen the course and why you would be suitable for it is vital. It is your chance to persuade your dream college that they would be lucky to have you and convince them that you are a better candidate for the course than any other. Personal strengths, hobbies, achievements and characteristics can all form part of this statement; the only necessity is to allocate sufficient time to its formation.

Reference
This is written by your teacher; usually (and advisably) the one who teaches you the subject which you have chosen to continue in college. This is a vital part of any student’s application as it will highlight to a university your proficiency for a subject; and how your enthusiasm for it should be furthered. Mature students can opt to choose someone who is not a teacher although this is not encouraged.

Deadline
The deadline for most UCAS applications is usually mid-January each year. Certain courses may expect earlier applications; such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary. You should check this with the particular college or UCAS. Cambridge and Oxford require early submissions for all courses.

What if I miss the deadline?
Late entries are accepted; however it is important to remember that these will have a lower chance of acceptance.

What happens next?
After your application is processed your chosen university/college may send you a conditional offer; before you sit your A-Levels; this will be dependent on you getting certain grades. This is advantageous to students as it gives you a good target of what results to aim for.

What if I don’t get any offers/ don’t want them?
If the five colleges you applied for send you back decisions and you don’t receive any offers, or you don’t want any of them; a facility called Extra can be used (see separate section for more information on this).

What's an AS12 letter?
This is the confirmation letter that is sent to you when you have been fully accepted by a university/college.

What's a firm offer?
This is the offer that you accept as your first choice.

What about an insurance offer?
This refers to the offer that you've accepted as your second choice in the event that you don't meet the requirements of your firm offer (i.e. don't receive the required results).