The application process


Applying for university


With up to five different courses at separate institutions to select, but only one choice in the end, the UCAS process can feel like a lotery. Then there’s the new- look personal statement to deal with too! Here’s how…


F


illing out forms is something a lot of people dread, whether it’s down to a fear of making


mistakes or a lack of knowing what to write. But the UCAS form is probably the most important one you’ve faced so far. As intimidating as the process might seem at first, half the batle is just to get started and ensuring you’ve lef yourself enough time. Afer this, the most important thing to bear in mind is: Rule number one: make sure you follow the instructions!


Filling in a UCAS form Applications are made online and the same form will go to each of the (maximum) five courses at institutions of your choice. (The limit is a maximum of four, however, for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science.) Consequently, as admissions staff point out, it’s best to remain neutral about colleges and universities on your form and not mention specific courses by name. That’s not to say, however, that researching the universities and the types of courses you are interested in isn’t important. It is, particularly when you are invited to attend an interview for a place at university – more of which later. In order to process and send off


your form, you’ll receive a ‘buzzword’ from your school or college. Like any application form, it asks for personal details, qualifications (anticipated grades as well as those achieved) and any employment history. So far, so straightforward – but do check and recheck all the information you enter, as mistakes are easily made!


References All applicants need a referee. This should be a current or previous teacher, but can also be someone who knows you in a professional capacity – such as an employer, if you have a part-time job, for instance. The referee cannot, however, be


a member of your family or a friend. The ‘buzzword’ links the application to your school or college and so a teacher can write a reference if appropriate. They’ll also be able to look over the application and provide help if required.


The new ‘personal statement’ Under the current UCAS system, prospective students have been filling out a free-response essay for their personal statement, which can be up to 4,000 characters long. Personal statements are changing from one longer piece of text to


three separate sections, each with a different question to help shape the focus for your answers. Rather than writing a long-form essay, which can be stressful, the changes mean you’ll need to prepare answers to specific questions instead. All three questions are mandatory. The new questions are as follows: Ÿ Why do you want to study this course or subject?


Ÿ How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?


Ÿ What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and in what way are these experiences useful?


These changes come into effect


from September 2025, so everyone who is applying for entry in 2026 will have to prepare answers to these three questions. UCAS says each section will have a minimum character count of 350 characters, which is clearly labelled on the question boxes, along with an overall character counter, to help you know if you’re on track (your answers to the questions will need to be no more than 4,000 characters in total, as was the case with the personal statement and it’s best to split flexibly across the three). But try not


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