How to apply for Higher Education

You need to apply via UCAS for the vast majority of first degree courses.
All applications are through APPLY – a computer system that processes applications entirely electronically. You can’t apply by paper.
All the information you need to apply is available on the UCAS website www.ucas.com
The standard application fee is Ł19 for a maximum of 5 choices and Ł9 for a single choice.
To start your application you’ll need a ‘buzzword’. This is a word or phrase that will be supplied to you by your school, college or centre. You’ll need it to register.
Once you have completed your form you’ll have to send it through to a staff member at your school, college or centre so that a reference can be added. They will then send it on to UCAS.
When UCAS receive your form they send it on to your chosen universities or colleges for them to decide if they are going to make an offer.
You’ll receive a welcome letter from UCAS and be given an individual application number that will allow you to follow the progress of your application online using TRACK to see if any colleges or universities have decided to make you an offer.
Offers can be conditional or unconditional – if conditional on achieving certain grades or points then 2 of these offers can be accepted (so that you have a fall-back plan in place for when results come out).

1 September opening date for UCAS applications
15 October deadline for applications to Oxford or Cambridge universities and for applications to medicine, dentistry and veterinary science/medicine
15 January deadline for all other applications, except art and design courses with a 24th March deadline.
24 March final deadline for art and design courses except those with a 15th January deadline.