Table of Content
UCAS Explained
Understanding Apprenticeships
Roadmap 2025
Extra Overview
Defining Clearing
Application Procedure
UCAS Explained
UCAS stands for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It is an admissions application platform that allows students from all around the world to apply to up to five universities in the United Kingdom. This platform offers both undergraduate and postgraduate college opportunities to students. It also provides information on the requirements for admission to particular colleges, such as which exams a student needs to pass and the necessary scores. The process of applying through UCAS requires a statement of purpose and two recommendations. The application fee for UCAS is £27.50 for the current year and £28.50 for the upcoming year.
Understanding Apprenticeships
UCAS also offers earning opportunities, namely apprenticeships, to help students earn while they study. While students receive on-the-job training and a salary like any other standard employee, they are given dedicated time to study throughout the week. There are different levels of apprenticeships depending on where you are in the UK, with each level having different requirements.
Below is a table illustrating how apprenticeships compare to other qualifications:
There are 4 types of internships, as per the UCAS official website; they are
Apprenticeships in England
Apprenticeships in Wales
Apprenticeships in Scotland
Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland
Apprenticeships don’t follow the same deadlines as universities, and students can also apply directly to employers. There is no limitation on the number of apprenticeship applications a student can submit.
Roadmap 2025
14 May: Undergraduate applications open for 2025 entry
3 September: Completed undergraduate applications can be submitted to UCAS
15 October: Deadline for applications to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and for most courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine and science
29 January: Equal consideration date for applications for most undergraduate courses
26 Feb: Extra Opens
30 June: Applications received by this deadline will be sent to universities and colleges
4 July: Last day to add an extra choice in your application
5 July: Clearing opens
20 October: Last date to add a clearing choice
Extra Overview
UCAS offers unique features such as “Extra” and “Clearing.” The Extra feature is available for students who either did not receive any offers or did not get an offer from their desired college. Extra is open for students until July 4, after which clearing opens. In the Extra phase, a student can add one additional choice of college or university to the original five choices. However, the student can add or change the college or university in Extra Unlimited times. There is no additional fee for selecting Extra.
Defining Clearing
Another life-saving feature of UCAS is clearing. This feature is helpful for students who did not receive any offers, are unhappy with the course or college or university, or did not submit their application form by June 30th. Clearing opens on July 5. The clearing process involves chatting with universities and talking to them on the phone directly, and sometimes universities have their own application forms and processes. A notable hack for clearing is A-level result day, which falls on the 3rd Thursday of August every year. This is because many students do not achieve the desired grades to get into the colleges they have applied to.
Application Procedure
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