How and when do I apply

Woolyryder22

Help when do I apply for university and how do I begin, I’m so confused by it all

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Woolyryder22

Help when do I apply for university and how do I begin, I’m so confused by it all

First decide when you want to start uni. Almost all courses start in later September each year.

The earliest you can apply is about 12 months before that. So if you wanted to start in September 2025, the earliest you could apply is September 2024.

In order for your application to receive equal consideration, you need to have applied by late January in the year you want to start (late January 2025 in this example). The exact date varies each year. This is the deadline it'd be best to hit.

However, you can apply much later than that. You can actually apply as late as the September you want to start (via a process called Clearing).

(If you're applying for any course at Oxford or Cambridge, or for a medical or veterinary degree at at uni, then the deadline is mid-October, a year before you plan to start.)

So you're right - it is all a bit complicated.

To begin, register on UCAS.com and start searching for courses you'd like to apply to. When were you hoping to start uni?