UCAS is the service which facilitates applications to university throughout the UK. If you are in your last couple of years of school, you are probably very familiar with UCAS, but if you’re not at school or you’re a mature learner, you will still need to navigate the system.
UCAS allows you to choose five different courses, at either the same or different universities. Depending upon your qualifications, you will receive one of three outcomes for each: an Unconditional offer, a Conditional offer or an Unsuccessful decision. Out of your Conditional and Unconditional offers, you will have to make your choice on which university is your Firm choice, and if your Firm choice is Conditional, an Insurance choice.
How to choose where to apply
Your five choices should be based on a number of different factors. Some important things to consider when choosing your subject and institutions are:
- Are you qualified for the course? You should always ensure you know what the entry requirements are, and either hold them already or be on track to achieve them.
Entry requirements can be a minefield, as often institutions only list the most commonly accepted qualifications on their own pages. You should never assume that equivalencies can be accepted, as every university will have its own rules about what they do and don’t accept. If you are in any doubt, speaking to the admissions team at the university is the best place to start. We have put together a handy guide about understanding entry requirements here.
- How competitive is the course? Some courses receive more applications than there are places available, so not all qualified applicants receive offers.
It’s a good idea to apply to a selection of courses which range in their levels of competitiveness. You can find out more about competition levels by speaking directly to admissions or student recruitment teams at the institute you are interested in applying to.
Competition levels can vary year to year. Just because it was very competitive one year, doesn’t meant it will be as competitive the next. It’s a good idea to have one or two ‘aspirational’ choices on your UCAS form if you want to go there. If you don’t try, it will definitely never happen!
- Is being there a practical possibility? Ensure you know about living costs and logistics for the places you are applying for. You don’t have to have all the answers, but being able to imagine yourself living there, and being prepared to figure out the ‘how,’ is a good start.
Going to university will sometimes mean moving away from home. Whilst you may be entitled to support with your living costs through student loans or bursaries, and you may be lucky enough to receive support from family, you may also need to work to fund your studies.
There is an added complication of course if you also have a horse that you want to take to university with you! You should work out how much it will cost for all your expenses including rent, food, your phone, transport, plus anything else that you will need to pay for (e.g. livery, shoes, feed, hay, a new saddle pad…)
Travel logistics are also important. Do you like the look of the accommodation? Can you see yourself living there? What would your commute be like? These are all practical considerations to weigh up when choosing where to apply to, as there’s no point applying somewhere that you can’t see yourself being happy.
Responding to your offers
Great, you’ve made your choices, you’ve been patient, and now it’s time for you to respond to your offers! If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to read our Understanding UCAS article which explains how the admissions cycle works.
For applicants who applied by the Equal Consideration Deadline (ECD), the ‘Reject by Default’ (RBD) date is in mid-May. The RBD is the date by which universities must make decisions on all applications which have been received by the ECD. This means that you will know the outcome of your application by then. You then have until the first week in June to make your Decision. The ‘Decline by Default (DBD) is the date by which if you don’t make your UCAS choices on time all of your programmes will be declined automatically. Therefore, you must make your decision by then.
If you applied after the ECD, you will have a mid-July RBD, which will give you a mid-July DBD (it’s usually around a week after the RBD).
Your Firm choice university is the place you definitely want to attend. It’s your number one institution and course. If your Firm choice is an Unconditional offer, you only need to make one choice. As soon as you make an Unconditional offer your Firm choice, UCAS will automatically Decline any of the other choices that you have.
If your Firm choice is a Conditional offer, you will have to pick an Insurance choice. Your Insurance choice is your back up option, and you can only go there if you miss the conditions of your Firm choice. It’s not an ‘either/or’ situation. You should make sure you still want your Insurance offer and be happy going there. You should also make sure that your Insurance offer has lower conditions or is already Unconditional so that it does serve as a back up option.
Applicants have two weeks after they have made their choices to change their responses. This is called a Reply Swap. After fourteen days have passed, applicants must ask permission from the universities involved in the swap to allow it to take place. Universities after fourteen days are under no obligation to say yes, so it’s important you make your decisions carefully.
After the end of July, you cannot make Reply Swaps of any kind.
Conclusion
Making your UCAS choices is a big decision and you should fully weigh up all your options before finally deciding. It’s always a good idea to imagine yourself in each situation – on a course or at a certain institution or living in a certain place – and focusing on how it makes you feel to support you in making the right choice. It’s a case of trusting your gut, but also using your head to make informed decisions about the best way to navigate the process.
If you would like help making your UCAS choices and want to speak to an impartial person for support, you can reach out to us for support.