UCAS Application Deadline 2024

Each degree programme will have its own UCAS application deadline. Some of these are earlier than you may expect, so to ensure you don’t miss your UCAS application deadline, make sure you double check when yours is.

What is the UCAS application deadline for 2024?

If you are applying for courses starting in 2024, or deferred entry for those starting in 2023, your application will need to be submitted by the following dates, depending on where and what you are applying for. Make sure you have completed your UCAS application before the UCAS application deadline, including filling in your personal details, personal statement, and academic reference.

A note on references – you must complete your UCAS application well before the deadline to allow your referee time to submit your reference. If you are applying through a school, you may have an internal deadline to meet.

These guidelines are for those applying to universities and colleges – if you are applying through UCAS to Conservatoires, your deadlines will be different, so get in touch with the course provider to find out when yours are.

Main dates to remember:

15th October 18:00 UK time.

• This is the UCAS deadline for applications to courses offered by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

• This is also the deadline for most Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine or Science course.

• You do not have to add all five choices by this date, however, as long as you have submitted the one due by this date, and do not add more than five in total.

26th January 18:00 UK time.

• This is the UCAS deadline for the majority of other courses.

• If you are not applying to Oxford or Cambridge, or for Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine or Science, this is your deadline.

You may also be required to register for extra admissions tests or complete additional questionnaires. The best way to avoid missing a deadline is to write down all of your relevant dates so you know what to do by when.

It is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. Not only will this get the stress of the application process out of the way, but you will also have plenty of time to apply for student finance.

UCAS Late Application

If a UCAS late application is received after 30th June, it will be entered into Clearing.

By your relevant deadline, you will need to make sure you have completed all elements for your application. Don’t be sloppy – you don’t want to miss a place at university just because you forgot when your UCAS late application was due!

How to choose your course options

You don’t want to be picking courses last minute. To ensure that you are applying for courses you actually want to study, make sure you research all your options well in advance. There is no harm thinking about what course to apply for months before you start your application.

When thinking about what courses to choose, here are a few points to consider:

• What do you want to achieve out of your time at university?

• Are there any particular goals you want to reach? These could be professional or academic.

• What subject have you enjoyed studying at school?

• What topics are you passionate about?

There are plenty of vocational or applied degrees on offer, and these can be fantastic for some. There is also an incredible range of traditional and non-traditional subjects you can study. Traditional subjects like Geography and History allow students to develop many of the key transferable skills that employers look for. Don’t be scared to study a subject that is not directly linked to a vocation.

Key Dates for UCAS Applications

• From the 25th February, eligible students will have access to UCAS Extra.

• By 5th May you must have replied to any offers you received before the 31st March.

• By 3rd June, you must reply to any offers you received before the 6th May.

• By 17th June,  you must have replied to any offers you received before the 3rd June.

• Applications submitted after the 30th June will automatically be put into Clearing

• The 19th October is the final deadline for applicants to apply through Clearing.

UCAS Late Application Deadline

If you missed your deadline, it is not the end of the world. You can still apply to many courses, including those you had initially intended to. If this is the case, it is best to ring up the course provider to see if they have any vacancies left on their course and will consider your application. This is far more likely for courses which have the 26th January deadline, and extremely unusual after the 15th October deadline as these courses are often the most competitive.

UCAS Clearing Dates

Clearing opens on UCAS in July and remains so till October as long as there are still places available.

UCAS Clearing is the system universities or colleges use to fill any vacant places they still have on their courses. Depending on your exam results and when you got them, you can apply through it from July to October. If you failed to meet the required grades of your conditional offer or even got better ones than expected, it offers the perfect opportunity to explore different options.

If you already know your exam results, you can apply from July if you have yet to receive any viable offers. If you did receive conditional offers, i.e. dependent on your exam results, but didn’t get the grades required, you can access it from 15:00 (GMT) on A Level results day.

On Track, you will have the option to ‘Add Clearing Choice’ where you will fill in all the details you have been given about the course. The best way to receive an informal offer and get these details is to ring up the university once you have found a course.

Once you have added a choice, this means you have accepted an offer. As a result, you can only submit one choice at a time.

Sometimes it may take some time for a university’s decision to be updated on Track. Don’t worry if this is the case. It may be that they are dealing with a lot of applications and have a backlog to get through. Rest assured that Track will be updated as soon as the admissions team has seen all of your application and your exam results and made a decision.

If you are applying for an undergraduate course at Cambridge you may be expected to take admissions tests. The type of test and whether you actually need to take one depends on your subject.

These are usually taken before the interview stage, or during, and require a separate registration. To find out how to register, go to Cambridge’s website. The deadline for this registration tends to be the 15th of October.

You will also need to fill in the SAQ, a supplementary application questionnaire. The deadline for the SAQ is the 22nd of October 18:00 UK time. If you are applying from Malaysia or Singapore, the deadline is the 26th September 18:00 UK time. You will be informed if your deadline is different.

If you are unsure when your SAQ is due, do not hesitate to get in touch with the college you have applied to – you don’t want to miss the deadline!

Similarly, with applying to Cambridge, most students applying to Oxford will be asked to complete am admissions test. You can find out exactly what test you will be taking on the course page.

The deadlines for registration to take the tests depend on your subject. Make sure you research when yours is. Whilst most need to be registered by the 15th of October, to apply to take the BMAT for Medicine, and LNAT for law, you may need to register beforehand.

Deadlines for International Students

The 15th October deadline tends to be inflexible, so if you are applying for a course which requires you to submit your application by this date, do not miss it.

On the other hand, the 26th January deadline is often slightly more flexible for UCAS late application if you are an international student, and you can apply until a few months after. It is best, however, to apply as soon as you can so you will have plenty of time to sort out any accommodation and work out which visa you need to get.

Part-time study varies depending on course and institution. To apply, you need to get in touch with the university or college directly. This way you can see whether you are suitable for a course, and can discuss any qualifications you have directly with admissions tutors.

Deferred Entry

For most courses, you can apply now and defer your place for a year, allowing you to take time out for a gap year. Some courses won’t allow you to defer your application, so you must check before making any final decisions. If you’re not sure, ring up the course provider and ask. It is very unlikely that Medicine courses, for example, will offer applicants deferred places.

Even if you are not planning to go to university for a year, your application is still subject to the same deadlines as everybody else.

UCAS Postgraduate Application Deadline

The UCAS postgraduate application deadline is slightly different to the undergraduate. For most courses, you need to have applied by June or July for those starting in September or October. Some courses may have an early UCAS postgraduate application deadline, so make sure you have researched when yours is – it will vary depending on the course and institution. Even if your UCAS postgraduate application deadline is later, it’s a good idea to apply as early as possible so you can sort out all your accommodation and finance, and any travel arrangements or visas if you are an international student.

With all this in mind, try to apply before the end of March, but check when your course deadline is.