Student Life
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UCAS checklist: what to include in your application

13th January 2021
Last updated 21st January 2025
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If you're applying to study an undergraduate course at a UK higher education institution, then the clock is ticking to apply through UCAS. Good news, though: you can use our UCAS checklist to make sure your application is ready to go.

We get that the pressure to get this right is real but, by making sure you enter all the vital info and apply in time, then you're giving yourself the best possible chance.

 

Your UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) application will consist of six sections:

  • Personal details
  • University choices
  • Education history / formal qualifications
  • Employment history
  • Personal statement
  • Reference

We cover these in more detail, one by one, in our UCAS checklist below. If you're still uncertain about something, check out our FAQs at the end of the checklist for answers to common UCAS queries.

One top tip before we get started: remember to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar after you've completed each section to make sure there are no mistakes before submitting. It's easy for anyone to make a typo, so leave time for a sense check to catch any errors - the last thing you want at this stage is to spell your own name wrong. 😱

Personal details

First things first: who are you? It won't surprise you that this part is pretty straightforward but, again, you'll want to check there are no spelling mistakes, your phone number is correct and you didn't mistype your email address in order for UCAS to send application updates. Remember to check at the end to save yourself needless worry after you hit 'send'.

In this section, you can also nominate one or more person (for example, a parent, guardian or teacher) who's allowed to speak on your behalf to UCAS about your application.

University choices

Ready to choose your courses? Here's where you can add up to five courses you want to study: either five courses at five different universities, five courses at the same university or somewhere in between (for example, three at University of Liverpool and two at other UK universities).

The important thing to remember here is to enter the correct institution and course codes. At this stage, there's no preference order and your chosen universities/colleges won't be able to see where else you've applied.

Education and qualifications

Next up: enter any formal academic qualifications from secondary school onwards. This includes completed qualifications and those that you're working towards (for example, A-levels). Your referee (see 6. Reference) will be able to add your predicted grades. A number of university courses will have minimum GCSE English, maths and science requirements so make sure you've included these grades.

Higher education institutions will use the information in your application to help make their decisions, so it's also worth including any graded performing arts, sports or extracurricular awards to showcase all of your skills.

Employment history

Details of previous employment go here. You can include up to five paid jobs, whether full- or part-time, including descriptions and start and end dates.

No employment history? Don't worry, you can leave this section blank. If you're a mature student, this is your opportunity to detail what you've been doing since leaving education. And if you have any volunteering or unpaid work experience, then include it but not here - save it for your personal statement. Which brings us to ...

Personal statement

This is the biggie, probably the most important part of an important application. We recommend completing this after you've selected your university and course choices, so you can tailor it as much as possible.

Your personal statement is all about explaining exactly why you're applying to university, highlighting your passion for the particular subject area, and detailing any skills or experience you may have that show how driven you are to succeed. Just why would you make a great student?

Don't be afraid to shine. It's definitely a good idea to share drafts with teachers and family members, so you can make sure you're 100% happy with it.

Reference

It's essential to include a suitable reference in your application before sending it to UCAS. If you're at school or college, a teacher will usually write your reference for you. They'll need the UCAS buzzword associated with your institution (which you would have entered when registering) to enter their reference.

Alternatively, if you're applying having already finished your studies, you'll need to add contact details for a former teacher or professional who UCAS can contact to provide a written reference.

UCAS late applications

Try not to worry too much if you miss the application deadline. There are a couple of options available to you:

  • Late application deadline: View the UCAS website to check the final deadline for your course. If you've missed it, you can still apply for various courses but some may not accept late applications, so we advise checking with universities or colleges.
  • Clearing: If you miss the late application deadline, you can still apply for many courses. If you go down this route, you'll automatically be entered into Clearing, the process used by higher education institutions to fill places on any courses that still have them. Find out more about Clearing and how to find student accommodation in Clearing. This will have a deadline so check the UCAS website to check when it is for the academic year you're applying to.

We hope our guide to besting your UCAS application has been useful and helps you make the most out of this opportunity to get a place on the course you really want. It's never too early to sort your student accommodation out either, so take a look at our locations page to see what Student Roost properties are in your uni city and book a viewing.

UCAS application COVER

Still got UCAS application questions? We've included some FAQs below. Good luck!

What is a UCAS application?

Applications for most full-time undergraduate university or college courses are made through UCAS. As a result, the majority of students wishing to study an undergraduate course at a UK university will need to apply through UCAS, including international students.

How much is the UCAS application fee?

The application fee for the 2021/22 academic year is £20 if you're applying for one course. This rises to £26 if you apply for multiple courses or send in a late application.

When do UCAS applications open?

The application window for 2021/22 applications opened in September 2020. An applications open date has not yet been confirmed for the 2022/23 academic year.

When do UCAS applications close?

Applicants to all UCAS undergraduate courses (except those with a passed 15 October 2020 deadline) should send their application by 6pm (18:00) GMT on Friday 29 January 2021. See UCAS late applications above for information on what to do if you miss this deadline.

What is required for UCAS application?

As detailed above, your UCAS application consists of six main sections:

  • Personal details
  • University choices
  • Education history / formal qualifications
  • Employment history
  • Personal statement
  • Reference

Refer to each section of our guide above for more on what you need to include.

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