Applying to university late
For most UK university courses the deadline for applications is 15th January. The exceptions to this are applications for all courses at Oxford and Cambridge and Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine/Science at all universities. If you’re applying to these courses or universities you’ll need to apply by 15th October.
If you miss these deadlines knowing the correct procedures will give you a better chance of getting into your chosen university.
Here is our guide to applying to university late:
Can anyone apply late?
Yes, all potential students can apply late, including EU and International students.
How late is too late?
If you miss the January deadline then you’ve got until 30th June to submit your application for immediate consideration. Applications submitted after June will be entered into Clearing, which starts at the beginning of July.
Clearing finishes on 30th September so if you want to apply for university after this point you’ll need to contact universities directly to find out about their vacancies and late application procedure.
When is the best time to apply late?
Oddly, getting your application in just after the January deadline might not be the best time to apply as the university will be busy dealing with the applications they received before the deadline.
Waiting until February will give you your best chance of being accepted. Just be sure not to miss the June deadline and find your application moved into Clearing.
Which courses are available?
The UCAS system splits the course search into two categories (Home and EU/International) – so you’ll need to ensure you select the right category before you search.
Courses that are listed in Extra are marked with an “x” and those that are closed for new applications are marked with a “c”.
Your best bet is to contact universities individually and ask for the course department you want to apply for. Give them your grades (achieved or predicted), explain your circumstances and tell them a bit about yourself. They’ll give you a yes or no so you won’t waste your time on a course that isn’t accepting applications.
