As an international student applying for university in the UK, you might be a little confused seeing the term UCAS everywhere. We thought we’d dedicate a post to explaining exactly what UCAS is.
A brief overview of UCAS
UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It is the centralised service that prospective students use to apply to university. All students, whether they are domestic or international students must apply through UCAS for most undergraduate courses and universities.
Students can apply to multiple universities and courses in one application. Universities cannot see what other universities you have applied for until you accept or reply to offers.
Currently, the 2017 application fee is £13 for a single choice, or £24 for more than one choice.
The point of UCAS is to make the process of applying to university simpler and more streamlined. UCAS’s aim is to match students with the right university and to match universities with the right students.
How to apply through UCAS?
UCAS applications are all done online.
You must register with UCAS to create your own profile and add details about yourself. UCAS applications must be completed in English, so as an international students you cannot apply in your native language.
Your application will require you to submit your course and university choices, as well as a full education history. Qualifications are listed by name and country and if you cannot find your specific qualification there is a box marked “other” for you to manually enter it in.
It’s important to provide as much information as possible so that universities have a clear picture of your history and qualification level.
A personal statement is required, as are references.
Once your application is complete, you simply pay the application fee and submit your application.
Getting help with your UCAS application
Despite the UCAS system being fairly straightforward, there’s nothing wrong with needing help. As international study abroad specialists, we have helped thousands of international students successfully apply to university. If you’re an international student looking to apply to university in the UK, contact us at Edvoy for more help and information.