Do i tell UCAS i applied last year?

I withdrew from UCAS about three months after submitting in september as i realised i wanted a gap year and different course.
I am now registering for 2008 entry, however, on registering it provides you with 3 options:
'i applied last year and know my personal ID number'
'i have a current ucas card'
'i have no card'

is it compulsory to tell them i applied last year? i'd rather not and start afresh?

Reply 1

Cirsium

19

It doesn't matter to UCAS, it just saves you having a new account... You're going to have to explain to the universities anyway surely?

Reply 2

conleche

OP

do the universities find out then anyway? because i am applying to some unis of which i rejected their offers- i originally applied for joint honours last year but am now only applying for one of those two subjects- and don't want them to reject me on the grounds that i rejected and withdrew from ucas last year.. i.e wasted their time?

Reply 3

arguendo

14

i wouldn't say you wasted their time as you withdrew by january; it'd be wasting their time if you'd picked a firm and insurance and waited until the last minute to withdraw, maybe, but i think it's hardly a waste to withdraw in january when most unis continue to give out offers until march/april.

i chose not to put in my previous application details.

Reply 4

Cirsium

19

Well technically there's no definite way for them to find out - although if it's a small department they could well remember. That said I doubt they'd care, since they over offer by 5x anyway to account for the people who choose other places. But you'll need to explain your gap year.

Reply 5

Hel

I phoned UCAS to ask about this, and they said it's just for their own use - they want to know how many people reapply more than once, if some people are applying year after year, etc. Adding your previous personal ID number won't identify you to universities as a reapplicant: there's a chance they might recognise you, or might have retained your application from last year, but that would be the case regardless of whether you told UCAS about your previous application. :smile:

Reply 6

conleche

OP

oh okay brilliant. I'm glad the unis won't necessarily find out then- and Bekaboo i've already explained my gap year in my personal statement anyhow.
Places like oxford and cambridge can tell if you are reapplying though can't they?

Reply 7

Hel

conleche

oh okay brilliant. I'm glad the unis won't necessarily find out then- and Bekaboo i've already explained my gap year in my personal statement anyhow.
Places like oxford and cambridge can tell if you are reapplying though can't they?

Yes, because you have to tell them you're reapplying on the supplementary form. You do for Cambridge, anyway.

Reply 8

RC89'

I wanted to ask when reapplying, do you have to reenter ALL of your information from last year or can you use your 'current' or former application to apply for 2008 to different unis/courses?

Reply 9

Hel

RC89'

I wanted to ask when reapplying, do you have to reenter ALL of your information from last year or can you use your 'current' or former application to apply for 2008 to different unis/courses?

You have to re-enter everything. However, if you saved a copy of your statement from last year, you can just copy everything over from that.

Reply 10

RC89'

O.K, i figured that but do you need a reference if u already got your A Level grades, cos' I feel a bit embarassed asking my school again or my current uni tutor (yes I'm a mess, am reapplying for different course ideally in the next few months). I got AAB for A Levels so would they need reassurance to pick me or anything?

Reply 11

Hel

I'm getting a reference from my teachers again this year, even though I'm not at school any more. I think it would be a very good idea if you did the same - the references can be nearly as important as the PS in choosing a candidate, iirc.

Reply 12

RC89'

But basically it's not saved in your former account. I will prob do the same but is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to do it (even if you are at a disadvantage)? Just wanted to know?