Applying to university: a simple guide

Applying to university might seem like a mission, but it doesn't have to be. Really there are just a few steps to follow.

Work out what course you want to do. Decide which universities you'd like to apply to. Fill in your application and personal statement.

Give yourself plenty of time for each, and you can feel confident about the choices you've made.

In this article we'll take a closer look at each step, and share links to useful resources on The Student Room, The Uni Guide and further afield. 

Get your head around this bit first. You don't want to be following all the other steps in this article, only to find out you've missed the boat when it comes to submitting your application.

For most people, if you're applying for undergraduate courses starting in 2024, your priority date is 31 January 2024. You’ll need to get your application in by 6pm GMT on this day to meet this deadline.

If you miss 31 January, it doesn't mean you can't apply. The main difference is that your application is no longer guaranteed to get 'equal consideration' from the universities you're applying to. You might find that some competitive courses have already filled up.  

There's a different (earlier) deadline if you're applying to the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science and dentistry. It's always in October, so the deadline for 2024 entry has already passed. For courses starting in 2025, the application deadline is 15 October 2024.

Now you know your timings, you can get started by registering with Ucas Hub. This is where you will submit your application later on, but it's also handy to have your account up and running at the start. For one thing, once you've registered with Hub, Ucas will send you emails reminding you of key deadlines.

You can also use Hub to research courses and universities, and do things like saving notes and using a tariff calculator to check whether your Ucas points meet entry requirements.

You're able to start an application on Hub any time from May, and you can submit your application any time from September.  

Of course, you might already know this. Some people will have been dead set on a certain university course for years.

But if you're in the 'still working things out' camp, start by thinking about what you're currently studying. Consider what you're good at – but think also about what you enjoy. Then think about where you want to get to – whether that's a specific career or perhaps further study.

You might find our A-level Explorer tool on The Uni Guide helpful. Pop in the subjects you're taking (it doesn't have to be just A-levels) and you'll get a list of degree subjects that could be a good match.

Once you've got ideas around subjects, take a look at how it might be taught. This is another thing where The Uni Guide can help: we have course category pages that show an overview of the kind of modules you might take on the course, how many teaching hours you might expect and so on.

You can also get an idea of whether you're a good match for that kind of course. Do you have the right mix of subjects? Are you expecting grades at the right kind of level?

We'll get onto choosing specific universities in a minute. Before that, it's time to think a bit more broadly. Scribble down the things that will matter most to you about a university. You might want to answer some questions such as:

• Whereabouts in the country should the uni be?
• Do you have a preference of campus, semi-campus or city university?
• Do you want to live in a big city or a smaller town?
• Are there particular facilities you want or need?

This will help you make a longlist of universities, which you can use as a starting point.

Those course listings on The Uni Guide can be helpful again here. Search for the course you fancy and you'll get a list of all the universities that run it.

Click on the uni name for more info, then cross reference this against your list of must-haves from the previous step. After all that, you'll have a big old list of unis that could be a match for you.

OK, serious research time now. You've got your ideas down: you know the course you want to study and you've got a list of promising-looking unis. Now you just need to whittle them down.

You can get started with a bunch of online research. University websites have tons of information - virtual tours, interviews with students, detailed course descriptions - all the kind of things you need to know.

Read those course descriptions carefully. No two university courses are exactly the same, even for the same subject. Remember to look at other courses on offer that might appeal to you – especially anything with an unfamiliar title. Courses may offer interesting 'extras' such as a work placement or a year abroad.

Of course The Student Room has discussions about every university – you can read what's there and ask your own questions too.

League tables can be a handy reference, if you're using them alongside other information. Tables that rank universities on specific subjects are likely to give you a more relevant picture than the general overview.

As the number of unis on your list gets smaller, you can start heading out on open days. Try your best to get to an open day for any university you're considering – it will be a massive help in deciding whether a uni is right for you.

That list should be looking pretty manageable by now, which is a good thing because you need to narrow it down to the five choices that will go on your Ucas application.

It's reality check time. You need to look at the entry requirements for each of your picks and work out which ones you've got a shot at.

For those five choices, we normally recommend you have:

• one 'risky' choice (above your predicted grades)
• two or three choices at your predicted grades
• one or two choices well below your predicted grades

With this kind of range, you build in some flexibility for however your grades turn out on results day.

What you don't want is five choices with identical (or very close) grade requirements. This will leave you without a useful backup (insurance) choice.

Remember - you don't have to fill up all five choices. Every choice should be a course and university you would be happy to go to. It's fine to just put down four choices if you're really not sure about a fifth.

Back to Ucas Hub now. Log on and you can make a start on your application. It doesn't all need to be done in one go - you can save your progress and come back to do more another time.

At the start, you'll be asked for the 'buzzword' for your school or college. Be sure to add this in (but don't worry if you forget, as you can also add it in later). The point of the buzzword is so that your school can track the progress of your application and so they can add the reference that they need to write about you.

After that, you'll have various details to complete, including your education history.

Next comes your personal statement. This is your opportunity to show what makes you a great applicant. It could end up being a deciding factor for universities who are struggling to choose between candidates, so it’s a really important part of your application.

Your personal statement should cover things like why you want to take that particular course, anything you’ve done outside of college that’s relevant to your application and any skills or qualities you have that you think would make you a good fit for the subject.

You can find lots of tips on writing your personal statement here. These teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement should also come in handy, as well as these personal statement FAQs.

Once you’ve finished writing your personal statement, it’s worth reading it through a couple of times to check for any mistakes – and getting someone else, like a parent or teacher, to take a look as well.

The final step is to add in those university choices that you've worked so hard to decide.

Click through to the choices section and enter the universities and courses that you want to apply for. Once you've added them all, click on the 'confirm choices' button to mark the section as complete. 

Once your reference is complete, you'll be able to submit your application to Ucas.

For 2024 entry, you’ll have to pay an application fee of £27.50.

To find out more about the offers you might receive and when you might hear back, check the links below. Good luck with your application!