When applying for universities globally, it’s natural that you apply for multiple courses or different universities as back. So, you can imagine the amount of paperwork, the applications and essays that need to be filed and sorted.
What if we told you that, for the U.K., you could use one application and apply to multiple courses/ universities at the same time? Let take a look at UCAS and the services they offer.
Or UCAS is a U.K.-based organisation whose role is to process applications for U.K. universities. All students (local or international), applying for undergraduate and graduate programs can go through the official UCAS website. One registration, one application, you can apply to five different courses/ universities in one go. UCAS deals with 3 million applications a year, on an average. In the U.K., it is a centralised organisation that deals with all admission related processes.
The process is quite direct. You register yourself in their website. The application fee is about £20 if you ’re applying to just one course and £25 for multiple courses. You can apply for up to five courses in one go. You can also use their course finder to figure out the perfect courses/ universities for you.
- You register and fill in your personal details
- Any additional information such as financial statements
- You make your course choices
- You update your full employment and education history
- A well written personal statement
- Letters of reference
and you review and submit.
However, UCAS deadlines are earlier than the usual university deadlines. So keep track so you don’t miss them.
Once submitted, you can track the progress of your application on the UCAS website.
Some universities (not all of them) also admit students based on their UCAS Tariff scores. It is essentially a numerical translation of your grades and qualifications. These scores then will determine your eligibility for admission. You can calculate your UCAS Tariff points here. Now, remember not all universities go by this score. Many go with conventional qualifications and grades. So, just ensure that before applying.
UCAS Clearing: If you don’t already have an acceptance from a university, you can apply via Clearing from July to October. It a list of universities that have vacancies which they are tying to fill up. If any of those courses suit your needs, you can choose from this lis with better chances of enrolment.
Postgraduate Programs: While UCAS is primarily a service for undergrad courses, the post-graduate sector is also joining the bandwagon.
Conservatoires: A conservatoire is a college dedicated to the teaching and learning of music and other arts. Through the UCAS conservatoires application service, you can apply for practice-based courses in music, dance, musical theatre and drama. Here are some of the conservatoires affiliated with UCAS:
- Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
- Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
- Leeds Conservatoire
- Royal Academy of Music
- Royal College of Music
- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Royal Northern College of Music
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
UCAS Teacher Training: Through UCAS, you can also apply for both full-time or part-time teacher training programs in England and Wales.
UCAS Apprenticeships: Just like your college applications, you can even apply for internship applications through UCAS.
Considering the prominence of the United Kingdom in the global ed-scape, UCAS simplifies your application process so you can focus on gearing yourself up to join the community of global students.