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TSR Wiki > University > Applying to University > Procedure > UCAS Apply

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This page explains how to fill out the UCAS application form. If you've already sent your application, click here.

Contents 1 What's the difference between Route A and Route B? 2 Registering with UCAS 2.1 Registering through school or other organisation 2.2 Registering as an individual 2.3 Tips on Registering 3 Filling out the online form 3.1 The "Courses" Section 3.2 The "Education" Section 3.2.1 Adding Schools and Colleges 3.2.2 Adding GCSEs 3.2.3 Adding AS/A2 Levels 3.2.3.1 Adding cashed in AS/A2 Levels 3.2.3.2 Adding non-cashed in AS/A2 Levels, or cashed in AS/A2 levels which have been declined 3.2.4 Adding other qualifications 3.2.5 A final note about finishing the education section 3.3 The "Statement" Section 3.4 The "Employment" Section 3.5 The "About you" Section 3.5.1 Registration Details 3.5.2 Further Details 3.5.3 Criminal convictions 3.5.4 Student Support 4 Preparing the online form for submission 5 Done!

What's the difference between Route A and Route B?

When you apply by Route A, your application is sent to all your chosen universities at once, and they all reply. Once they've all replied then you pick a firm and insurance choice and wait for your result.

When you apply for Route B, the applications are sent one at a time (you get to choose which order). You are invited to your first interview, and then you may be offered a place. If you are not offered a place, or if you turn it down, then your application will be sent on to the next university on your list.

Route B is only available on Art & Design subjects, and is meant for students with a strong portfolio of work for the interview.

This page describes Route A applications, since most people will be applying this way. Most of the Route B application is the same as described here, although the deadline dates and number of choices you're allowed are different. This flowchart from UCAS describes Route B in more detail.

Registering with UCAS

Registering through school or other organisation

If you plan to register through a school or college, you must use the registration instructions provided by your school/college/etc., as each institution has its own "buzzword". Don't be tempted to register by yourself. You will also be asked for your first names, surname, title, sex, date of birth, address, telephone numbers and email address. The registration process generates your username and you create your own password.

Registering as an individual

You will be asked your first names, surname, title, sex, date of birth, address, telephone numbers and email address. The registration process generates your username and you create your own password.

Tips on Registering

• Don't use an email address like sexygurlie880@hotmail.com. Remember who's going to be looking at this application.
• Don't put "captain" as your title, for the same reason as above. Not even if someone pays you a fiver to do so.
• If you don't understand something, ask your referee or contact UCAS if you don't have a referee.

Filling out the online form

Once you've signed into UCAS for the first time, you'll see something like this. Clicking each of these takes you to a different section of the form to fill in. You can log in and out as often as you like, just doing bits of each section each time as you go.

The "Courses" Section

Applicants for 2009 entry or later can choose up to 5 choices through UCAS.

These choices can be applications for a single course code at 5 different universities or 5 different courses at a single university (and anything in between).

You're only allowed to apply to EITHER Oxford OR Cambridge.

Only 4 of your choices can be used to apply for Medicine, Dentistry or Vetinary Medicine. Only 3 of your choices can be used to apply for Art and Design Route B courses. (Route B applicants have until March to apply.)

If you apply to fewer than 5 choices initially it is possible to add extra choices (until you have 5 in total) at a later date.

The order you enter your choices in doesn't matter - UCAS will reorder them by Institution Code and Course Code.

Your other choices aren't visible to the universities you apply to until after you've received your offers and picked your firm and insurance. This means that Nottingham wont know if you've applied to Wolverhampton unless you happen to mention that information in your personal statement or it gets mentioned in your reference.

NOTE: University staff are NOT allowed to ask you where else you've applied. If they do ask you then you don't have to answer and you should alert UCAS to the fact that you've been asked.

Information requested

• Inst'n Code: university code, a single letter followed by 2 numbers. Click on the "?see list" button and select your university from the list. Be very careful as some universities have very similar titles and others may have changed their name.
• Course Code: UCAS Course Code, 4 digits, single honours courses are usually a Single letter followed by 3 numbers (eg Q300 English), major minor courses are usually a letter and number (major) followed by another letter and number (minor) (eg Q3V1 English with History), joint honours courses are usually two letters followed by two numbers (QV31 English and History). Click on the "?see list" button and select your course from the list. Be very careful as some courses have very similar titles.
• Campus Code: This can refer to either the Campus you will be studying on or the College you are applying to. Click on the "see list" button and select your campus/college from the list. This is not always required.
• Further Details: Fill this in only if requested in the UCAS Directory, the Course Search on the UCAS website or the university or college prospectus. For example, QTS. This is often used for general courses to specify which specialisation you are applying for. It can also be used if you're applying for a particular scholarship scheme. It should NOT be used to simply enter the course title or university name (and if you do repeat the university name then at least TRY to make sure you spell it correctly(!)). It also is NOT the place to specify which accommodation you want to live in or enter your predicted grades.
• Home: If you plan to live at home while you study if you pick this university, tick the box. Otherwise, leave it blank. Dependent on the university involved, you may or may not be able to change this at a later date.
• Defer: If you want to start the course in 2010 instead of 2009, tick the box. Otherwise, leave it blank.
• Point of Entry: This is the year of the course you are applying to join. If you're applying for standard entry onto the first year then you can leave it blank. If you're applying for entry into the second or later years then put 2, 3, 4 etc in here. If you are applying for a foundation year, enter 0.

The "Education" Section

This stage takes a fair amount of time and requires quite an amount of care and attention. Before you start, it would be a good plan to fish out all your GCSE and A-level results slips so you can enter them onto the site with a minimum of fuss. If the exam board and specification you took for each subject isn't listed on your results slips, it may be a good idea to ask someone what the specifications are - especially for GCSEs. Please note that this advice is intended for A-level candidates.

Adding Schools and Colleges

• Firstly, you'll be asked about the secondary schools, colleges and universities you've been to.
• You aren't expected to enter primary schools.
• You can add details of up to 10, but most people will only need to add 1 or 2.
• If you've taken any exams outside of your school/college - for example taken additional A Levels during evening classes - you still need to add details of where you sat those exams.

Adding GCSEs

• When you're done adding schools and colleges, click "add qualifications" under the relevant centre. Then select your qualification from the menu and submenu that appears. This year, it appears as a long list in alphabetical order.
• Most GCSEs will just come under "GCSE". However, if you did a short course or a double award you need to select that from the main menu.
• For the subject title, pick it from the list. If you're not sure which specification you did, just choose the normal one. For example, pick "Business Studies" rather than Business Studies A or B.
• Under "date" most people put the month/year in which they received the results, usually August.
• For the awarding body, make sure you choose the correct exam board. "Edex" is Edexcel.
• When you're done, click "save and add similar". This will add your qualification and take you to a screen where you can add another qualification of the same type. Once you have filled out all qualifications of this type, click "save" for the last qualification. This will take you to your education summary screen.

Adding AS/A2 Levels

• Before adding any AS/A2 levels, you must find out whether or not they are cashed in.
• If your ASs are cashed in then even if you are resitting a module you must put the cashed in grade on UCAS Apply as per the first set of instructions UNLESS you are declining the grade, in which case you mark the grade "pending" as per the second set of instructions.

Adding cashed in AS/A2 Levels

Adding AS/A2 Levels you've cashed in and have not declined (the first set of instructions)

• Follow the same instructions as above (selecting GCE Advanced or GCE Advanced Subsidiary), but notice that you now have to include details of all your module grades. When you have filled out all the boxes finish the application as above.
• You cannot add the UMS marks that you got for each unit, only the grade. However, if one of your UMS marks was good (e.g. only a couple of marks off the next grade up), you may want to ask your referee to include this in his or her reference. (Note: Oxbridge applicants may be expected to declare their module grades to the appropriate university later on).
• Even if you are planning to re-sit some AS modules, you should include every module grade you have received so far, unless you have declined your overall AS grade, in which case you should follow the instructions for declined grades below. If you wish to mention that you are planning to resit some modules, you may do so in your personal statement.

Adding non-cashed in AS/A2 Levels, or cashed in AS/A2 levels which have been declined

Adding AS/A2 Levels you haven't yet completed/cashed in or have declined with a view to re-taking (the second set of instructions).

• No matter what units you have taken and what your predicted grades are, you must put the grade for all units as "pending" and the date in the future (usually the August in which you take your final exams). If you are particularly pleased with any module marks you have received, have your referee mention these in his/her reference instead.

Adding other qualifications

Many other qualifications are worth UCAS points. Even if they're not, it's still nice to add them so that universities can get a better idea about you.

A final note about finishing the education section

• When you come to mark the section as finished, you may be asked for BTEC Registration Number and your Scottish Candidate Number. If these don't apply to you, simply leave them blank.

If you have your certificate, you can find your BTEC Registration Number printed on it. It is the second item on the bottom line of the text. It is a letter followed by a six-digit number. If you do not yet have your certificate, you will need to ask your tutor to find out the number.

The "Statement" Section

For information on writing a great PS, see the Personal Statement FAQ. Be sure to make sure that none of your formatting is erased when you paste it into UCAS. The best way to do this is to copy your PS from Word into notepad and then copy from there into the UCAS Apply box - this removes some of the "intelligent" formatting that Word applies that UCAS doesn't accept.

The "Employment" Section

This section is for PAID work only. Unpaid work experience can be mentioned in your personal statement.

Paid weekend and holiday work MUST be included.

This section is primarily for mature students so don't worry if you don't have anything much to include. UCAS and universities will not call up references from your employers (however they are allowed to contact them to get verification of the dates you worked there and what work you were doing so don't lie).

If you're a mature student and there isn't enough space to include your full work history (and you feel that your experience would benefit your application) then UCAS suggest sending Employment information directly to the universities you've applied to once UCAS have processed you application.

The "About you" Section

Registration Details

First names, surname, title, sex, date of birth, address, telephone numbers and email address.

Make sure the email address provided is fairly sensible (your universities will be able to see it). It's a good idea to provide a home telephone number, but only include a mobile phone number if you're willing for UCAS and universities to send you text messages.

Check your email account regularly - especially and spam folders. UCAS and universities are increasingly using email as the main method of communication.

Further Details

Fairly straight forward. Be as complete as possible even though it does feel like you're repeating yourself over and over again.

Residential category is the most important field in this section to fill in correctly as if you get it wrong at best it will mean filling in multiple fee questionnaire forms from universities.

Criminal convictions

You should tick the box only if you have a relevant criminal conviction.

Student Support

Fee code: ONLY select 01 Private Finance if you're expecting to pay International fees (~£10k pa up front).

If you're applying for NHS funded courses (Nursing, Midwifery, Audiology, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Radiology) then select 05 DH/Regional Health.

For any other course (including medicine) if you're living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EU then select 02 LEA/SAAS/NIBd/EU/ChI/IoM.

Preparing the online form for submission

• Before submitting the online form, use the front page of Apply to check whether you need to verify your email account.
• Go through each section checking for errors, marking them finished as you go. (After you click the "finish" button once, you also have to click another "section finished?" link to confirm.
• When all the sections are marked as finished, the menu at the top will change to display an option to "send to referee" if you have a referee. Your referee may let you make changes after you have submitted it if the referee has not yet passed it on to UCAS.
• When you click the send button, a T&C page will appear, then a payment page. Don't worry if you don't have a credit card and are applying through a school/college: you can simply give your school/college a cheque by clicking the appropriate button.

Done!

From here, if you sign into Apply all you can do is see whether your referee has finished your reference yet and whether your referee has submitted your application. When the application is submitted, go to Tracking and Replying to your Offers to found out about the next step.