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As you probably know by now, the deadline for UCAS applications for most courses is January 15th.

Contents 1 Applying before the deadline 2 Applying after the deadline 2.1 January deadline 2.2 October deadline 2.3 How to apply

Applying before the deadline

A lot of people worry that they are sending their UCAS application too late. If you're applying before the deadline then by definition you can't be applying too late!

Universities have to give equal consideration to any applications received before the deadline. So as long as you send yours on or before the 15th January (or October for for Oxbridge and Medical, Veterinary and Dentistry applications), you'll be fine.

You'll probably have read on the forums that someone else has got an offer, and probably people you know will have received offers too. But don't worry that the universities you're applying too will run out of offers. Universities give many more offers than they have places, as they know that a lot of applicants will end up not going there. So they will still have offers left by the time they get to your application. Remember they can give you an offer up until May 9, although they are advised to reply before March 31st.

Applying after the deadline

January deadline

Yes, it is still possible to apply after the deadline of January 15th. However, universities do not have to consider your application. Many will, because if they have spaces it would be stupid not to fill them when they have applicants wanting a place.

October deadline

If you want to apply for a course with the earlier October deadline then unfortunately you can't. Neither Oxford nor Cambridge will consider late applications, and the medicine and related courses are too competitive to need the extra work. You will need to consider Taking a Year Out, or decide if you'd rather apply to another course or university.

How to apply

If you are applying through UCAS before June 30, then you can pick 5 choices and apply as normal. If you apply after this date then your application is sent for Clearing.

Most of the procedure is the same, so you may wish to read the notes on UCAS Apply.

The most important thing to do before sending your application is to contact the universities that you are interested in. It's probably best to phone them and ask for a specific address to email so that you know you are asking the right person. You'll need to explain your circumstances, your grades or predicted grades, and tell them a bit about yourself. They will tell you whether they would consider you, and if they say yes then you can apply. If they say no, then don't waste your application, and find somewhere else.

If you are applying after Extra has started, then you are still classed as a late applicant rather than an Extra candidate. This will save you some time though, as you can target universities which have space in Extra for your course. They still can decide not to consider late applications, but if they have spaces they'll probably consider you to see if they can fill them. If you do apply late then you can still use Extra, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.