After you have applied

Even the most carefully researched application can spring some surprises. Some courses you found attractive when reading the prospectus might not have the same appeal after a personal visit to the institution.
If the only offers you have are for places that you no longer want, you can decline them and apply again through UCAS Extra � see UCAS Extra explained below.

First of all, you need to think about why you haven�t had any offers.

Did your application make it clear that you were suited to the course?
Did your reference or personal statement paint a negative picture of you?
Were your choices for very popular courses and places?
Are your predicted grades now lower than what is needed?
Do you have the wrong subjects, or are your GCSE and AS grades not strong enough?
If you had an interview, did you prepare fully and read the prospectus beforehand?
It�s a good idea to get feedback from admissions tutors about your application and view decision letters through Track.

You have a second chance to find a place through UCAS Extra UCAS will inform you if are eligible for UCAS Extra and you can log onto UCAS Track to apply.
Be realistic about your predicted grades - if your predicted grades are much lower than needed for the places you want, you might have difficulty getting an offer through UCAS Extra. You will need to think about whether you are being realistic in your choices.
If you are sure that you can do better than your predicted grades, you can enter the Clearing system in August or re-apply for the following year with every chance of success.

UCAS Extra operates from the end of February to the end of June, for candidates who have no offers for whatever reason and have used up all their course choices.
Extra is a way of applying to further universities and colleges without having to wait for Clearing.
Applicants can use UCAS course search to find out which courses have vacancies in Extra.
Eligible applicants using the Track service on the UCAS website - www.ucas.com - can apply for one course at a time.
Applicants can make additional choices through UCAS Track if they did not use up all of their choices originally.
When universities and colleges receive exam results they decide whether to confirm conditional offers.
Check out the new �adjustment� system. This allows people with better than expected results to try for the place of their dreams, while still hanging onto their confirmed unconditional offer, for a few days.
If you do not get confirmation of either of your conditional offers your application goes into Clearing so that you can apply for courses with vacancies.

Talk to the HE institutions first

UCAS advises learners to talk to the Higher Education institutions about vacancies before applying via UCAS Extra.
Talking to an admissions tutor prior to your application will give you a chance to market yourself and address any problems or issues that may arise.
You will need to find out whether the institution is likely to be interested in you; otherwise an application will waste time and delay the process of you finding a suitable place.