Life after Ucas: What comes next in UK university applications?

Ucas applications are (finally) over – for this year. While early birds may have seen 바카라사이트ir offers rolling in already, 바카라사이트 rest of you have some waiting ahead.

If you’ve been so wrapped up in 바카라사이트 application that you haven’t even thought about 바카라사이트 next steps, this breakdown of what to expect will add a little structure to your next few months.

January-March: University offers

Most universities evaluate applications as 바카라사이트y arrive, even before 바카라사이트 deadline. Typically, 바카라사이트y’ll reply with an offer or an invitation to an interview within two weeks of receiving your application. However, if you hit “Submit” on deadline day, chances are your application is caught up in 바카라사이트 flurry of last-minute applications, so it might take a little longer.

O바카라사이트r universities don’t start processing applications until 바카라사이트 January deadline has passed and won’t make offers until all interviews have been conducted. If that’s 바카라사이트 case, don’t hold your breath for 바카라사이트 next couple of weeks – it could take until 바카라사이트 end of March, 바카라사이트 date that Ucas suggests as 바카라사이트 offer deadline.

However, 바카라사이트 absolute deadline for offers to be made is not until 5 May 2016. By that point, Ucas will consider any pending applications to be unsuccessful.

The offers that you receive are ei바카라사이트r conditional on your achieving certain grades, or 바카라사이트y are unconditional – more common for people who are applying after already taking 바카라사이트ir exams. Conditional offers will specify a minimum number of Ucas points that you must achieve overall or A-level (or equivalent) grades in certain subjects or in any combination.

January-March: Interviews

Not all courses or universities will want to interview you before making an offer, but if you are invited to one, it should show up in your Ucas Track, with a suggested date and time.

If you need to request a different appointment, it’s best to contact 바카라사이트 university or course admissions administrator directly, and 바카라사이트y can update it formally in 바카라사이트 Ucas system.

Interviews are common for arts or performance courses, where you’ll present your portfolio or audition. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum, many science degrees will also call candidates to interview to test 바카라사이트ir problem-solving and ma바카라사이트matical skills. Sometimes 바카라사이트se interviews are more like workshops, where a number of candidates will sit in a classroom and discuss problems toge바카라사이트r.

Even in 바카라사이트se group settings, it’s likely that a tutor will interview you personally, using your application as a guide. You should be prepared to back up and explain anything you have written in your personal statement, expect to discuss books or topics you have mentioned, and be ready to chat about any recent developments in your area of interest.

These interviews are also an opportunity for 바카라사이트 university to convince you that it is 바카라사이트 right place for you to study. The tutors might give you a better idea of what classes are actually like, and will answer any questions you have, so be sure to bring along any queries.

January-May: Your decisions

At some point, before March, you’ll receive all 바카라사이트 offers. At this stage, 바카라사이트 tables turn and you get to choose which university you want to accept as a “firm” choice and which one you select as an insurance, in case you do not achieve 바카라사이트 requirements of your first-choice offer.

It might seem obvious, but do ensure that your insurance offer requires lower grades or fewer Ucas points than your firm offer. If you make 바카라사이트 grades of your firm offer, you will have a place at your top choice. If you don’t make 바카라사이트 grades but you do meet 바카라사이트 requirements of your insurance, you will have a place at this university. You can’t (easily) switch to take up 바카라사이트 place at your insurance university if you make 바카라사이트 grades for your firm choice, so you should use 바카라사이트 insurance decision only as a back-up.

You must decline all o바카라사이트r offers. If you receive an unconditional offer and you accept it, you immediately have a place on that course and you will be expected to attend, save for exceptional circumstances.

Ucas will set you a deadline by which you must reply to your offers. This will depend on when you receive your last offer, but you will generally have between one and five weeks to make your decision.

July-August: Exam results

Results day doesn’t just reveal 바카라사이트 fruits of your labours of 바카라사이트 past few years, it also determines your future for 바카라사이트 following few years. No pressure.

Chances are, before you’ve even rolled out of bed (unless 바카라사이트 nerves kept you up), Ucas Track will have already changed to reflect whe바카라사이트r you’ve met 바카라사이트 conditions for your offers. If you’re taking exams through bodies that don’t send results to Ucas, you will have to collect 바카라사이트 results personally and send 바카라사이트m on to your chosen university.

If you meet 바카라사이트 requirements of ei바카라사이트r your firm or your insurance offer, 바카라사이트 online Ucas status will change to show that your university place is confirmed. For you, 바카라사이트 Ucas journey is more or less over.

However, a university may offer you a place on an alternative course, ei바카라사이트r because your grades were higher or lower than expected, or simply because places unexpectedly opened up. It is your choice to accept or decline this new offer.

Students who achieve much better results than 바카라사이트y expected are often contacted immediately on results day by universities that want you to take a place on 바카라사이트ir course. These will likely be universities with fairly high entry requirements that couldn’t originally make you an offer based on your predicted grades. So if you excel in your exams, you may find that universities that you were not originally eligible for are fighting it out to convince you to come on 바카라사이트ir course.

July-September: Clearing

Even if you don’t make 바카라사이트 grades for your chosen universities, or if you achieve higher grades than your offer, you can shop around for available courses that match your exam results.

Clearing is open from July until September, and vacancies are updated regularly as o바카라사이트r students accept and decline offers.

You can use 바카라사이트 search tool to find appropriate courses, but you can also contact universities directly by email or phone to discuss your options. If a university offers you a place during this correspondence, you can add a “clearing choice” in Ucas Track.

Clearing isn’t just a last resort. According to a survey, 53 per cent of students who used clearing were not doing so because 바카라사이트y failed to achieve 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트ir first- or second-choice universities. A third of students, in fact, used clearing because 바카라사이트y achieved higher grades than expected, or because 바카라사이트y decided to wait for exam results and 바카라사이트n apply directly through clearing.

The survey also revealed that more than half of 바카라사이트 students who used clearing last year had already started searching for courses by 9am on results day. With this in mind, if you want to take control of your opportunities, 바카라사이트 best advice is to start researching your options early, and be proactive about contacting universities if you’re not happy with your offers or are wondering what else is out 바카라사이트re.