Timeline to Starting University*

This seasonal timeline indicates what generally happens and when during the academic year prior to going to university to study as a full-time undergraduate student in the UK. There may be individual differences that reflect your personal circumstances, the course or the university.

Additional elements such as admission tests, interviews, auditions, preparation of a portfolio or early deadlines, may be applicable depending on the course you’re applying for or the university you’re applying to.

​It’s important to check specific dates, deadlines and individual requirements with each university and course you’re considering, with your school or college, and with UCAS: the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.
Autumn (normally Year 13)
  • Attend university Open Days for any universities you’re considering that you didn’t see during Year 12​
  • Edit and finalise your university application/personal statement
    • This explains to the university why you’d like to study a particular course or subject and what skills or experiences you have in that area
    • And it’s the place to tell the universities anything about you that will help them put your achievements and experiences into context
    • Don’t be tempted to plagiarise: UCAS uses sophisticated computer software to detect copied text
  • Give your school/college enough time to read your application, check your qualifications, write and attach their comments/reference
  • Have you considered other degree options? E.g. a sponsored degree, a degree apprenticeship or an accelerated degree
  • Choose up to five courses to apply for
    • This is the limit under the UK system
    • Be realistic in your course choices. Your school or college will tell you your predicted grades. Compare these to the published grades that universities normally require from students to study specific courses. You should apply for courses you have a good chance of getting a place on
    • Choose courses with higher and lower grade requirements so that you’ll have an insurance/back-up option
  • UCAS normally starts to accept applications in September for most undergraduate courses
    • Don’t delay as universities start sending out offers within weeks of receiving applications
    • Universities have until the May deadline to inform you of their decision (on January applications) so it can be a long wait
  • Any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, dentistry, and music courses at conservatoires require early application to UCAS (the deadline is normally October)
  • For conservatoires, check their websites or contact them for application dates
  • Some universities and some courses may invite you to interview, audition or sit their own admission test
Winter
  • Start to receive decisions
  • January is normally the UCAS deadline for the majority of university applications (note the deadline for early application above). It’s possible to apply after this date but course choices may be limited and decision times will change
  • If you’re an international student, most universities will continue to accept applications (other than for early application courses) until later in the year
  • If you included fi ve choices on your application but have not received any offers – or you declined the offers you received – you can normally apply to UCAS Extra in February for an additional course
Spring
  • Continue to receive decisions from universities
  • Universities that have made you an offer may invite you to attend an Offer Holder Open Day. The day normally includes an introduction to the department, information about your course, a tour of the department/campus, taster lectures, and meeting staff and current students
  • Accept or decline your offers; normally keeping a firm (first choice) and insurance (back-up) offer
  • If you firmly accept an unconditional offer
    • You’re normally committed to going to that university so you can’t make an insurance choice, or be entered into Clearing
    • If you’re sitting exams, it’s really important that you keep working and get the best results you can
  • Apply for university accommodation, if required
  • Apply for student loans, and government grants and allowances, if required and if you’re eligible. Investigate other grants, awards, scholarships and bursaries
Summer
  • If you’re sitting exams – good luck!
  • Start practising – or improving – useful life skills, particularly if you’re moving away from home for university e.g. cooking, laundry, supermarket shopping
  • Work, work, work – save, save, save! Build up your savings by undertaking paid work
  • Results Day. This is particularly important if your place at university is conditional on you achieving certain A level grades
    • Depending on what you’re studying, schools and colleges will receive results on different dates – check when your results will be available
    • UCAS Hub updates at 8am on Results Day showing whether you’ve been accepted onto your firm or insurance course (if no decisions are showing, contact your universities)
    • If a place on a course is offered: accept or decline
    • If you didn’t meet the conditions of your offer, the university may still offer you a place, or a place on an alternative course
    • If you’ve not received any university offers – or none you wanted – then you can apply for a course that still has spaces through UCAS Clearing
    • If you receive your results prior to A level Results Day, and you don’t have an offer of a place at university, you can enter Clearing early since it opens in July. However, most Clearing vacancies won’t be published until August so you’ll need to wait until then if you want to see the full selection of places that are available
  • Fingers crossed: you’re getting ready to go to university!
*Excerpt taken from Starting University - Third Edition