Get your UCAS application right

Make your application stand out

Our admissions teams see thousands of university applications every year, from people with a variety of backgrounds, so it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.

We’ve picked out five pieces of often-overlooked advice to help you get your university application right.

Always include any volunteering or work experience you have. It will enhance your application and help you stand out from other applicants.
Choose an email address you have easy access to. School emails are sometimes hard to get into in the summer holidays. You don’t want to miss an important message.
Make sure you understand the difference between a firm choice and an insurance choice. You cannot choose between them. Your insurance choice is just your backup if you miss out on your firm choice.
Check you have correctly listed the qualifications you’re doing. Getting this wrong happens more than you’d think and could be the difference between getting an offer or being unsuccessful.
To stand the best chance of getting the place you want, submit your application by 31 January deadline. You’ll get equal consideration with other applicants if you do. If you miss the deadline, you can still apply but popular courses could be full.

Write your best personal statement

Focus on why you want to do the course — research what units are covered, employment opportunities, links to your current studies and use that to help you.
Remember that all your university choices will see the same personal statement — avoid mentioning specific institutions and courses, as this might be off-putting to anyone you haven’t mentioned.
Keep your personal statement focused, clear and concise — plan and draft, and when you’ve written it ask someone you trust to give you feedback.
Include the things you’re doing outside of your studies — pick activities that support your interest in the course/subject field or demonstrate relevant skills, such as time management, communication or teamwork.
Avoid spelling or grammatical mistakes — ensure you or someone you trust proofreads your application.