Karen Pichlmann |
Deadlines
UCAS
application deadlines are there for a reason, from your perspective it means
your university application is out of the way before you get down to the all-important
revision. Deadlines also mean
universities can manage the selection process – time for interviewing, portfolio
presentations, selection days etc.
Universities deal with vast numbers of applications, and in order to
give each one the consideration it deserves, we need time. Plus it works the other way too, universities
have to let you know their decisions by certain deadlines.
Many
schools and colleges really encourage their students to meet the deadlines
(some students may say ‘nagging’!) and the vast majority of applicants do. For some prospective students, they just
aren’t ready by the deadlines for a variety of reasons. The decision to go to university may come
later in the year, once they are further through their A levels or BTEC for
instance. Students who aren’t in a
school or college may not be aware that deadlines exist – understandable when
they seem so early compared to when university starts. Indeed, some students at university currently
may have a change of heart and need to change course.
Missed the deadline?
So
now we know why the deadlines are there, the next logical question is “are
there deadlines for late applications?” Yes of course! See UCAS’ important dates section. You can apply now and until 30 June as a late
applicant. After this time, you will go
into Clearing. Five months sounds like a
long time, but I’d urge you not to delay as some courses may close over the
coming months.
Equal consideration
Before
you proceed, I need to tell you about ‘equal academic consideration’. Essentially it does what it says on the tin,
and guarantees each applicant equal consideration as long as they apply by the
deadline. Applying after the deadline,
means a university doesn’t have to employ this rule and can reject you even if
you meet the entry criteria. Most
universities will let UCAS know that their courses are full and cannot accept
any more applications. Some may only be
looking for a few select applicants.
Others know that good applicants sometimes miss deadlines, and give
equal consideration. I’d put Bournemouth
in all three categories – some of our courses are full, some will have a small
number of offers to make and some will consider late applicants more widely.
What will be available?
The
short answer is not everything.
Example:
you’re suddenly consumed with a burning desire to study, say, English. You love literature, the classics, to write
and to read widely. You start to
research what’s available and discover that the number of available English
literature courses is limited. Looking
more closely, you can see English language, English and Politics, English and
Communications courses available for example.
Reading the detail of these courses will tell you if they will be
suitable for your goals and interests.
Therefore,
you may have to be more flexible and think of alternative pathways if you apply
now. Universities offer help and advice
on your options. At Bournemouth we have a dedicated future students team to answer your
questions and so do other universities.
Finding out what’s available
Research
is the key to applying to university, whenever you do it.
University
websites should tell you if they are accepting late applications. Bournemouth
has it clearly on each course listing as does the UCAS course search.
How to apply
There’s
no different process for applying now.
You register to use UCAS Apply and away you go.
I can’t emphasise enough the need to complete the application in full,
including your references. Whilst we are
happy to consider late applications, we want to consider good ones. UCAS provide lots of advice on completing your application.
I
hope this has given you the confidence to get started on your application,
knowing that it’s not too late to start university this year. Remember to get in touch with the universities
you’re interested in. Good luck!