• UCAS

    CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE

    Explore your options, apply to university, and more


    • How UCAS Works

      • If you’re considering higher education, you’ll need to decide what subject, course type, and course provider is right for you.

        Here are some tips and advice to help you.

    • Making Course Choices

      • 1. Choosing a subject

        It’s important you choose a subject you enjoy and will help you reach your goals. Here are some things to help you choose the right subject for you:

        • Think about what you enjoy day-to-day – maybe this could be part of a future job role?
        • Explore different job sites and graduate career options to look for ideas on what you’d like to do once you've finished your studies.
        • Think about your career goals and the qualifications required as part of a person specification.
        • Take a look at the subject guides to get an idea of the types of subjects you could study, and the industries graduates go on to work in.
        • Search for courses by subject to see what's available.

        UK degree courses tend to be very specialised from day one, allowing students to focus on their chosen subject. However, there are others that allow you more flexibility in what you study. Make sure you read the course descriptions carefully, and click through to university websites for further information.

        Thinking about more than one course or subject?

        To increase your chances of getting a place on a course you are given the option of applying to up to five courses at once, usually all in a similar subject so that your application is relevant to all of them.

        Please note, there are a couple of restrictions though:

        • You can only apply maximum of four courses in any one of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science.
        • Usually you can only apply to one course at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. There are exceptions though – if you'll be a graduate at the start of the course, and you're applying for graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of Cambridge, you could then also apply to medicine (course code A100) at Cambridge, as well as graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of Oxford. (Some applicants will need to complete an additional application form to apply – visit the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge websites for more information.)

      • 2. Types of undergraduate course

        After leaving school, most students going onto university or college study for an undergraduate degree. These are usually made up of modules (some compulsory and some optional) that add up to a full degree.

        Here are some examples of the types of undergraduate courses you can do.

        • Bachelor degree courses
      • Bachelor Degree Courses Page
        • Foundation years
      • Foundation Years Page
        • Diploma in foundation studies (art and design)
      • Diploma in Foundation /studies (Art and Design) Page
        • Foundation degrees
      • Foundation degrees Page
        • Degree or graduate level apprenticeship
      • Degree or graduate level apprenticeship Page
      • HNCs, HNDs and other incremental routes Page
      • If you need a visa to study in the UK, you need to check your visa status allows you to do a part-time course, and/or work in the UK. Check if you need a visa and find out if you’re eligible to work on UKCISA's ‘Can you work?’ website.
        Looking to study performing arts?

        As well as university and college courses, you can also choose to study at a UK conservatoire. Courses at conservatoires are more performance-based than you will find at a uni or college. Conservatoires offer courses in music, dance, drama, and musical theatre.

      • 3. Choosing how to study

        Most students study undergraduate courses full-time, however this is not the only way. There are lots of different modes of study, designed to fit around your own circumstances.

        • Part Time
      • Part-time Page
      • Distance and blended learning Page
      • Accelerated degrees Page
      • Work-based Learning Page

      • 3. Choosing where to study

        Some students set their heart on a particular university, while others just want to choose the course they like the sound of best. Either way is fine, but make sure you do your research, as changing your university or college once you’ve started isn’t always easy

      • More information on where to study.... Page

      •   How and when to apply  

    • Completing the Application

    • Writing your Personal Statement

      The personal statement is an important part of your UCAS application. It’s your chance to describe your ambitions, skills, and experience to university and college admissions staff.

      How to write a UCAS undergraduate personal statement

      • What is a personal statement?

        A personal statement supports your application to study at a university or college. It’s a chance for you to articulate why you’d like to study a particular course or subject, and what skills and experience you possess that show your passion for your chosen field

      • What to write about

        You!

        You’re telling admissions staff why you’re suitable to study at their university or college.

        It’s important to remember you can only write one personal statement – it’s the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities or colleges by name.

        If you’ve chosen similar subjects, talk about the subject in general, and try not to mention courses titles. If you’ve chosen a variety of subjects, just write about common themes, like problem solving or creativity.

        Here are some ideas to help you get started:

        • Look at course descriptions and identify the qualities, skills, and experience it requires – you can use these to help you decide what to write about.
        • Tell the reader why you’re applying – include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject, the course provider, and higher education.
        • Think about what makes you suitable – this could be relevant experience, skills, or achievements you’ve gained from education, work, or other activities.
        • Include any clubs or societies you belong to – sporting, creative, or musical.
        • Mention any relevant employment experience or volunteering you’ve done, such as vInspired Awards, Step Together, or Project Trust.
        • If you’ve developed skills through Duke of Edinburgh, ASDAN, National Citizen Service, the Crest Awards scheme, or young enterprise, tell them.
        • If you took part in a higher education taster course, placement, or summer school, or something similar, include it.
        Personal circumstances
        • If there are any personal circumstances which have affected your educational performance, outline them in your personal statement. For example, this might be something that caused you to miss school  - such as a physical or mental health condition, or caring for a family member.
        • If your personal circumstances have affected your qualification choices, you can mention this in your personal statement. For example, a change of school which did not offer the same options, or having gained non-different qualifications, skills and experience to many other people (e.g. through the Armed Forces).
        • If you have suffered financial hardship during your studies (e.g. received a bursary to cover the costs of your education), you can let the university know about that here.

        If you have a question about writing your personal statement, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Here are some useful blogs to help:

      • International and EU students

        • As an international student, there are a few extra things you should mention:

        1. Why you want to study in the UK.
        2. Your English language skills, and any English courses or tests you’ve taken.
        3. Why you want to be an international student, rather than study in your own country.

      • Mature students

        • Here’s where you can mention any alternative entry requirements you’ve used – like an Access course or APL – demonstrating the skills and knowledge you’ve gained through your previous experiences.

      • Student carers

      • Estranged students

      • Refugees and asylum seekers

      • Applying through UCAS Conservatoires?

      • How to write it

        Your personal statement should be unique, so there’s no definite format for you to follow here – just take your time. Here are some guidelines for you to follow, but remember your personal statement needs to be ‘personal’.

        • Write in an enthusiastic, concise, and natural style – nothing too complex.
        • Try to stand out, but be careful with humour, quotes, or anything unusual – just in case the admissions tutor doesn’t have the same sense of humour as you.
        • Structure your info to reflect the skills and qualities the unis and colleges value most – use the course descriptions to help you.
        • Check the character and line limit – you have 4,000 characters and 47 lines. Some word processors get different values if they don’t count tabs and paragraph spacing as individual characters.
        • Proofread aloud, and get your teachers, advisers, and family to check. Then redraft it until you’re happy with it, and the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

        We recommend you write your personal statement first, then copy and paste it into your online application once you're happy with it. Make sure you save it regularly, as it times out after 35 minutes of inactivity.

        Here are some useful documents to get you started:

        Applying for teacher education in Scotland?
        If you’re applying to study Teacher Education in Scotland, you’ll need to make your application through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme. Read dedicated  personal statement advice from Scottish training providers about what to include in your personal statement.

      • UCAS' personal statement builder

        This tool is designed to help you think about what to include in your personal statement, and how to structure it. It also counts how many characters you’ve used, so it’s easy to see when you’re close to the 4,000 character limit. Use the tool to start building your personal statement over time by saving your progress as you go.

        Use the tool

      • Personal statement dos and don'ts

        • Do show you know your strengths, and outline your ideas clearly.
        • Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
        • Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.
        • Do ask people you trust for their feedback
        • Don’t be tempted to buy or copy a personal statement, or share yours. All personal statements are checked for similarity – if your personal statement is flagged as similar to other applicants, it could affect your chances of being offered a place.
        • Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
        • Don’t rely on a spellchecker, as it will not pick up everything – proofread as many times as possible.
        • Don’t leave it to the last minute – your statement will seem rushed, and important information could be left out.
        • Don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.

        What happens to personal statements that have been copied?

        Every personal statement received by UCAS is added to the personal statement library, which means UCAS are able to quickly identify if your personal statement is similar to someone else’s.

        Once your application is received, your personal statement is scanned by the UCAS Copycatch system – if your statement shows a similarity of 10% or more, it will be flagged.

        Where similarities are confirmed, the universities, colleges, and applicant are notified at the same time. The university and college admissions staff will then decide what action to take.

        Your personal statement will not be compared to your earlier applications if you have applied in previous cycles or schemes.
        ​

    • Getting a Reference

      How you get a reference for your application depends on if you’re applying individually, or through a school, college, or a centre registered with UCAS.

    • Where to Get Help

      • Let's recap, click on the PDF below to read the main points of your UCAS application.....

      • UCAS 2020 File

      • Further help and advice……………….

        College Lecturers

        UCAS online resources

        SDS staff

        • Your application does not get checked in detail

        • Once it’s sent we can’t get it back

        Lorna Jenkins ljenkins@west-lothian.ac.uk

        Margaret Hewitt (College and SDS) mhewitt@west-lothian.ac.uk