UCAS Extra

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What is UCAS Extra?

UCAS Extra is a way of applying to additional universities if you have either received no offers from your original 5 choices, or if you have changed your mind.

Am I eligible for Extra?

You will be eligible for Extra if:

• You have used all five of your choices; and
• You have had unsuccessful or withdrawal decisions for all your choices; or
• You have cancelled your outstanding choices and hold no offers; or
• You have received decisions from all five choices and have declined all offers made to you.

So basically, you are only eligible for Extra if you hold no offers at the current time. You need to decline any offers that you may have received, or withdraw from any choices that have yet to make a decision. To do that, contact UCAS

When can I apply through Extra?

The Extra process runs from the last week of February to the end of June/early July. Check the UCAS site for exact dates. Remember that you can't use Extra unless you hold no offers, so you can only apply after you have declined all that you did receive, and/or withdrawn from any choices for which you haven't had a decision. Your eligibility for Extra will show up on your Track.

How does Extra work?

Extra allows you to apply to additional universities.

Do I have to apply to the same course?

You only have to apply to the same course if you want to. Some courses, like Medicine, will not have vacancies in Extra, so if you applied to one of those you can't apply for the same course anyway. However, if you've changed your mind since you first applied, you can apply to a different course from the one you first chose. Many people will only make minor adjustments to their subject choice, like changing from joint to single honours or vice versa, but if you want to apply for a completely different subject then you can.

However, unis will be able to see the original personal statement you sent with your UCAS application, and thus if you change course this might not be relevant. It's therefore a good idea to write a new personal statement covering why you want to do this new course, and anything you've done to ensure this is the right choice. You can also include details of your results from January exams if you did those, or any additional work experience you might have done more recently. You will need to send this directly to the university you want to apply to, as you cannot change it on UCAS. Make sure you contact the uni - by phone or by email - before sending this new personal statement. Check that they will consider it, and ask them how they would like you to send it.

How many choices can I make?

You can only apply to one place at a time. If you don't get an offer, or if you don't want to take up that offer, you can then apply to a further choice. Again, if you don't get an offer, or if you don't want to take up that offer, you can then apply to a further choice. You can have as many choices as you can fit in the time limit, as long as you choose only one at a time.

Things to think about

If you previously received no offers

Try to think about why this might have been. You might want to contact the unis and see if they have any feedback for you. Did you aim too high? Are you sure the subject is right for you? Can you do any additional work experience? Have another look at your PS. If you now realise that your PS could have let you down, take the opportunity to check whether the university you are applying to through Extra will consider an updated version.

Don't just apply again to the same standard of university, as you may be unsuccessful again.

If you have changed your mind

Not that long ago, you were convinced that the course and universities that you applied to last time were the right choices for you. Why have you changed your mind? Are you sure that this new course/university is for you, and have you done additional research into this?

If you are applying for a new course, you may be able to send a new personal statement directly to the university you choose to apply to. Make sure you ask them first though, either by phone or email.

How do I apply?

How can I see which courses have vacancies?

You need to search the UCAS site for vacancies. You do this the same way as a normal UCAS Course Search, but you must make sure you tick the little box at the bottom that says "Extra courses only". Note that this is only possible once Extra has started. As an additional check when you've done this, all courses with spaces are marked with an "X".

If you're not quite sure whether to keep your current offers or decline them for something through Extra, you can see the vacancies first. However, it is essential to check with the university that there really are vacancies if the listing surprises you (eg History V100 at York, or Exeter; Economics L101 at LSE) as the system is that all courses are listed in Extra unless the uni tells UCAS the course is full. Sometimes delays in updating this information (not necessarily UCAS's fault!) mean that you get some unexpected listings in the first day or two. So do not decline what you already have without checking (and always remember that even if the uni says they'd be interested in your application, this is not a guarantee of an offer, so declining offers you have already got is not without risk!).

Contacting the university

Once you've found a course that you want to apply to, don't just go ahead and send your application. Contact the university first to check that they still have spaces and will consider you. You could do this by email, but it's probably quicker to phone them. Ask to speak to the admissions tutor for the subject; if for any reason you can't talk to the admissions tutor then ask for their direct email address. Don't just email their general enquiries address.

Before you contact the uni, it would be a good idea to plan what you want to say. Read through your personal statement, and maybe have a copy in front of you. This is your chance to make a good impression, and a little bit of enthusiasm will go a long way. Briefly mention your grades, experience and anything else you consider relevant. You really need to try and sell yourself! If you are changing your course choice, you need to mention that you have written a new personal statement, and ask them how they would like you to send it to them.

If they say that they have spaces and will consider you, then it's time to apply through UCAS.

Sending the UCAS application

You can either contact UCAS by phone and tell them the details, or you can to do this on UCAS Track. Either way, you'll need the institution details and course code, as well as any additional details such as campus code that might be required. Many people have reported error messages when changing things on UCAS Track using alternative browsers, so it would be a good idea to use Internet Explorer if possible. Also be aware that the UCAS site is likely to be slower than usual immediately after Extra first opens - but since unis will not be processing applications in the middle of the night, you can leave it a few hours and apply in the morning.

Feedback from Extra users

The Extra Experience

BillyMarsh: So it was 23:55 on the 25th February 2009 (Extra due to start in 5 minutes)... The moment the clock struck midnight Extra became open to all those applicable and straight away I dived in and checked what courses were available (International Relations). Upon seeing a handful of good looking courses I e-mailed the admissions departments of respective Universities telling them: Who I am, my current achieved grades and intention on studying their course. I then left a question asking whether they would consider me for alternative, related courses.

The next morning I woke up, checked my e-mails and found a few automated responses; at least my messages had been received. The actual UCAS website did not show Extra listings until 9.30 onwards, so only those eligible for Extra could see the options from their 'track' screen. A few hours passed and I received no replies, being incredibly on edge all morning I decided that I would call them personally and see what happens.

One phone call pointed out to me that the course I had expressed interest in was only for 'International Students', although there are no indications of this on the UCAS website. As I phoned more and more places, they either told me that the course was in Extra by mistake or that it was international only. Finally some good news! I sat at the phone speaking to representatives from 2 Universities which said that they would be more than happy to receive my application, eventually I decided which of the two I preferred and sent off my application... Within 7 days I received an offer!

So my advice to next years Extra users... Send e-mails to every course you are interested in and then wait for their response... Phone the Universities you are most interested in to find out more (make sure that you phone the person you e-mailed... Unlike I did!)... Research the week before, no one can guarantee what courses will pop up or where but if you can make a short list of five mentally you may be surprised!

So... I hope that helps anyone applying through Extra this year, next year or the year after that or the year after the year after... Good luck!!!

Other useful links

• Ucas extra official website
• Which courses were available through UCAS last year?