The Ultimate UCAS Extra Thread 2025
Hello! 
Given that UCAS Extra has been open for a little over a month now, it seemed sensible to create a space where you can ask questions and also find out the key information regarding UCAS Extra.
So what is it?
UCAS Extra is a free service that enables you to continue applying for higher education courses in the upcoming academic year if you've exhausted all five of your choices and either received no offers or declined all offers. This option is available as long as you've initially applied through UCAS and are not holding any offers or awaiting decisions on your initial five applications.
Key Dates
UCAS Extra opened on 26 February 2025, for all undergraduate applications. The closing date for UCAS Extra applications is 4 July 2025. After this date, if you have no offers, you can enter Clearing.
How UCAS Extra works
You do not need to submit a separate application for UCAS Extra. If you're eligible, the "Add Extra Choice" button will automatically appear in the Choices section of UCAS Hub. However, not all universities or courses participate in Extra. Those that do will be indicated in Course Search with a grey "X".
While there's no limit to the number of courses you can apply for through Extra, you can only apply for one at a time. Unlike the initial round of applications, you cannot choose a firm choice and an insurance offer simultaneously.
Your application will be reviewed by the university or college. If you haven't received a response after 21 days, you can decide whether to wait further or introduce a new choice.
Should you reject the offer or not receive a response within 21 days, you have the option to include an alternative choice. Keep in mind that the university or college may take more than 21 days to respond, as they have until midnight on 17 July to finalise their decisions. The decision to wait or substitute them with a different choice is yours to make.
Need more information?
"UCAS Extra explained" on The Uni Guide
"Extra Choices" on the UCAS website
FAQs about UCAS Extra on the UCAS website
Given that UCAS Extra has been open for a little over a month now, it seemed sensible to create a space where you can ask questions and also find out the key information regarding UCAS Extra.
So what is it?
UCAS Extra is a free service that enables you to continue applying for higher education courses in the upcoming academic year if you've exhausted all five of your choices and either received no offers or declined all offers. This option is available as long as you've initially applied through UCAS and are not holding any offers or awaiting decisions on your initial five applications.
Key Dates
UCAS Extra opened on 26 February 2025, for all undergraduate applications. The closing date for UCAS Extra applications is 4 July 2025. After this date, if you have no offers, you can enter Clearing.
How UCAS Extra works
You do not need to submit a separate application for UCAS Extra. If you're eligible, the "Add Extra Choice" button will automatically appear in the Choices section of UCAS Hub. However, not all universities or courses participate in Extra. Those that do will be indicated in Course Search with a grey "X".
While there's no limit to the number of courses you can apply for through Extra, you can only apply for one at a time. Unlike the initial round of applications, you cannot choose a firm choice and an insurance offer simultaneously.
Your application will be reviewed by the university or college. If you haven't received a response after 21 days, you can decide whether to wait further or introduce a new choice.
Should you reject the offer or not receive a response within 21 days, you have the option to include an alternative choice. Keep in mind that the university or college may take more than 21 days to respond, as they have until midnight on 17 July to finalise their decisions. The decision to wait or substitute them with a different choice is yours to make.
Need more information?
"UCAS Extra explained" on The Uni Guide
"Extra Choices" on the UCAS website
FAQs about UCAS Extra on the UCAS website
Reply 1
Hi I applied to UCAS extra and I am in the very exhausting situation. I am a gap year student and I retook some of my exams. I applied with my predicted grade since I was still wating for my retake results but now I have achieved A*AB and I originally applied Biomatierals eng related course (with my predicted A*A*A) and recevied an offer but sadly the condition was at least A*AA and higher so basically I cant go to any univeristy that I orginally applied. So I thought I would like to change my route and apply pharmacy through UCAS Extra because they have low entry requirement and I got interested pharmacy lately. However, due to my personal statement I have been getting rejection. Honestly at this point I don’t really mind any course if its fits my personal statemtn because I have a restriction from my parents that I can't really go to low ranking uni. I would appreciate any helpful advice. I am quite stressed.
Original post
by ysl060804Hi I applied to UCAS extra and I am in the very exhausting situation. I am a gap year student and I retook some of my exams. I applied with my predicted grade since I was still wating for my retake results but now I have achieved A*AB and I originally applied Biomatierals eng related course (with my predicted A*A*A) and recevied an offer but sadly the condition was at least A*AA and higher so basically I cant go to any univeristy that I orginally applied. So I thought I would like to change my route and apply pharmacy through UCAS Extra because they have low entry requirement and I got interested pharmacy lately. However, due to my personal statement I have been getting rejection. Honestly at this point I don’t really mind any course if its fits my personal statemtn because I have a restriction from my parents that I can't really go to low ranking uni. I would appreciate any helpful advice. I am quite stressed.
OK. Let's step back a bit. Am I right in guessing that you're an international student? Or are perhaps a UK student taking International A levels?
You say you "recevied an offer" (singular). Did you include the usual five choices in your application? What happened to the other four?
You say "sadly the condition was at least A*AA and higher so basically I cant go to any univeristy that I orginally applied". You achieved A*AB, so we're just one grade below the requirement. Universities sometimes confirm the place of students who've just missed their offer grades, but can't really do so until August when the A level results are out. That's because it's only then that they know how many places they have for such candidates. So if you received an A*AA offer, but achieved A*AB, my guess is that the uni would have left the offer "in limbo" until August. Or did they withdraw the offer once you provided them your grades?
The fact that you were able to apply via UCAS Extra clearly means that either they withdrew the offer, or you withdrew the application once you got your grades back. Which was it?
And the other four choices - was it a similar story there?
So, your next strategy was to apply to study Pharmacy via UCAS Extra, but have been getting rejections because your personal statement is Biomaterials-focussed. Agreed? Some unis allow you to provide an additional personal statement direct to them in situations like this. If you still have a Pharmacy application (via Extra) being assessed right now, it might be worth contacting the uni concerned to see if they'll accept a separate personal statement. Do you have an application pending right now?
You say that "have a restriction from my parents that I can't really go to low ranking uni". Given that your original interest was in Biomaterials, and that's what your personal statement targets, it worth seeing what your options there are in that general area.
How about some of these:
• Biomedicine BSc (Hons) at Lancaster University. It looks to be available in UCAS Extra, needs AAB (which you exceed) and is possibly somewhere your parents will be OK with. (It's in the top few universities in the UK for Biomedical Sciences according to the Complete University Guide.)
• Biomedical Sciences BSc (Hons) at Newcastle University. Again, It looks to be still accepting applications, with requirements of AAB. The fact that the university is member of the Russell Group might keep your parents happy.
• Biomedical Engineering BEng (Hons) at University of Kent. It appears to be in UCAS Extra and are only looking for BBB. How, this one might take a little more convincing for your parents, but note that Kent is only just outside the top 10 for Medical Technology and Bioengineering, according to the Complete University Guide.
(As you've probably guessed, I couldn't find anything appropriate for Biomaterials, which is why I branched out a little!)
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