Application Process - UK Universities

Application to Undergraduate Courses:
To apply for full-time degree courses, foundation degree courses (England only), HNDs and Diploma of Higher Education courses, you acn simply apply through Universities and Colleges Admission Service or UCAS. Applying through UCAS gives you an advantage to apply to at least six different universities and courses. This saves you time, money and hassle of applying to individual universities. Each university and college makes its own decision on whether to offer you admission but the UCAS procedure guarantees that the system works efficiently to a strict timetable.

You can apply through UCAS using the online system which is a web-based online application system. Using this system gives you the opportunity to apply anywhere, at any time of the day. The internet automatically checks important details like course codes and date of birth and alerts you immediately if you have left any missing field.

Application Deadline Dates:
There are three application deadlines for courses through UCAS - 15 October, 15 January and 24 March - it is important to check the deadline for your chosen course(s). Contact your nearest British Council office to know the exact dates for application.

International Applicants
Being an international candidate, you need to be aware of the three application deadlines but at the same time you should also be aware that not too many universities and colleges will consider your application up until 30 June 2010.

Applying to Oxford and Cambridge University Students must apply before 15th October of the year preceding their year of proposed entry. There are specific forms to be filled and sent to the universities. You cannot apply to both the colleges in the same academic year.

Important Dates:

15 January 2010 : Application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all courses except those listed above with a 15 October deadline, and art and design courses with a 24 March deadline.

24 March 2010: Application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for art and design courses except those listed with a 15 January deadline.

30 June 2010 : If you send your application to us by this date, we will send it to your chosen universities and colleges. If we receive your application after this date, you'll be entered into Clearing.

Note: Clearing is a service available between July and September, but for most people it is used after the exam results are published in August. It can help people without a university or college place to find suitable vacancies on higher education courses. If you are flexible and you have reasonable exam results, there is still a good chance you will find another course through Clearing.

Course Start Dates

Most of the courses start from September or October while some start between January and May. For courses that start between January and May, you may need to apply before the three application deadlines above, as the universities and colleges will need time to consider your application.

Note for Indian students: Outstanding marks from one of the two Central Boards (CBSE or ICSE) or their equivalent or the first year of an Indian degree programme are usually required for direct entry into an undergraduate programme in UK. For most courses and universities, Indian students are required to take the IELTS (International English Language Test), which is regularly administered by the British Council. Some universities may accept TOEFL as an alternative. Some universities may waive IELTS if your studies to date have been in English and they are convinced that you are proficient in English.

Application Fee through UCAS:
The current fee for applying through UCAS is £9 GBP for a single choice and £19 for up to six choices. You can make only one application a year through the UCAS application process.

UCAS provides each applicant with a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) enabling them to monitor the progress of their application and to record choices through its ‘Track’ service available 24 hours/seven days on the UCAS website.

Application to Postgraduate Courses:
If you are a postgraduate student, you need to apply directly to the college or university. You can apply for as many different programmes as you want. Apply as early as you can as institutions start processing applications up to 18 months before the start of the course.