UCAS applications - how do British universities consider them?

If you submitted your UCAS application in the first term (before the January deadline), universities are obligated to consider your application till May. The methods of allocating places vary depending on the university and course (for details you can always reach us, each case is different and we will be happy to have a look on that for you). The process of considering applications has been described in the article below and is divided into 3 most popular methods.

Immediate offer

The UCAS system starts accepting applications in mid-September of the year preceding the start of studies. Some universities begin distributing offers as soon as possible. This means that your chances of getting a positive offer from a university are inversely proportional to the time that has elapsed since the recruitment started, thus – if you submit your application in October, you can expect offers even in the same month.

The best of the best

The university doesn't check applications until they have all arrived in their system. They most often wait until the January deadline passes. It’s only then that the applications are meticulously analyzed by university committees (usually, each faculty has a separate “admissions team”) and the best candidates are chosen from among all applicants. This is the most fair method, however, it often results in the applicant waiting for their offer for several months.

Equal opportunities

The university starts responding to applications immediately after the system opens. However, it has a set number of spots to offer in the first few months so that in January - when most students with a tendency to do everything at the last minute submit their applications - it still has the opportunity to make an offer.

What happens to your application when it reaches universities?

At the beginning, applications are reviewed by the central admissions team at the university for substantive correctness and meeting basic criteria. Each application is also scanned with anti-plagiarism tools and is verified against AI-generated content - which applies to the personal statements. It is therefore extremely important that the application is correctly prepared for the given course and chosen universities (please check this with us before sending!). The "Admissions team" then forwards the selected applications to dedicated academic groups, consisting of experts in the given fields. If they determine that the applicant has made an impression of being adequately prepared and motivated, their application is sent back to the central committee at the university for approval. Sometimes, the committee or an expert may ask for additional information, such as confirmation of references, submission of documents, portfolios, or an additional short written work. You may also be invited to an interview or entrance exam (only in the case of a few selected universities and courses).

If you have prepared for the entire process appropriately and filled everything in accordance with expectations (if you have used our help, then most likely so), you can be sure that soon you will receive an email from the university with a response, and that the status of your application in UCAS track will change. If your application was very ambitious, don't be surprised if you receive an offer for a slightly different course – similarly in the case of a slightly weaker application. The waiting period for a response is from 2 days to even a month after submitting the application, depending on the course and university.

When will I get a response from my universities?

... It depends! Unfortunately there's no easy answer to that since considering the above modes and that each university has its own process in place you can get your answer anytime between days and months which cannot be predicted.  

Advice for applicants!

An early application can be an additional plus - however, remember to only send it when you are certain of your course and university choice, and your personal statement is refined. Make sure that you have applied all the tips you were given. If you're unsure about something, contact us as soon as possible (via messenger or by email at [email protected]), and if it's already after the January deadline - don't worry! With our help, you still have a good chance of getting into great universities!