An overview of Apply, the online application system

Apply is an application system that allows you to apply online for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the UK. There is help text available throughout Apply in case you are unsure about some of the details, and the system will warn you about certain mistakes. We ask you to complete the following sections.

  • Registration laptop
  • Personal details
  • Additional information (UK applicants only)
  • Choices
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Personal statement
  • Reference
  • Declaration
  • Pay and send

Each section must be completed before you can send your application to us.

There are two types of help available in Apply. We provide help that gives you an overview about the current page that you are viewing, and help that is specific to any field that requires you to enter details or select an option on the screen.

Registration

If you wish to apply, you must first register. In this section we need to know your personal details, such as your name, address and date of birth. We also ask you to read and accept the terms and conditions for using Apply. The registration process generates your username and you create your own password, which you use to login to Apply. Further information is available in the registration section of this website.

Personal details

Some of this section will be filled in automatically with the details you entered during registration. You should check that the information is correct, such your name, address, date of birth and contact details. We also ask for further information that the universities and colleges require, such as your nationality, residential status and any disabilities you may have.

Additional information

If you live in the United Kingdom, we ask for additional details about any non-examination-based activities you have undertaken in preparation for higher education, together with other information designed to help us and the universities and colleges to monitor applications and equal opportunities, such as your national identity and ethnic origin.

Choices

In this section you enter the courses and universities and colleges to which you are applying. You can enter your choices in any order and Apply will rearrange them into alphabetical order. For each choice, we will ask to you indicate if you will be living at home or in student accommodation, and if you are applying for deferred entry i.e. starting the course in 2009. It is important that you check the information carefully before marking the section as complete. Find out more about choices.

Education

We need to know where you have studied and which qualifications you are taking/have taken. We will ask you to fill in your schools or colleges, then ask you to list your qualifications. Please make sure that you have included all relevant qualifications, including any that you have completed and any which you are currently taking. The universities and colleges may make you an offer based upon the information you give so it is vital that it is correct. Find out more about entering your qualifications.

Employment

In this section, you fill in the details of your work history and employers. If you have not had any jobs, you can leave this section blank, but you will still need to mark it as complete in order to continue with your application.

Personal statement

We ask you to complete a personal statement, which tells your universities and colleges why you are applying for the course(s) you have chosen and why they should want you as a student. This statement helps universities and colleges to know more about you as a person. Find out more about how to write a personal statement.

Reference

We require a reference from a tutor, careers adviser or other professional who knows you well enough to write about you and your suitability for the course. If you are applying through a school or college, this section will be completed by your referee. If you are applying independently, your referee should write the reference and give it to you, so that you can complete the section. Find out more information and guidelines about the reference.

Declaration

Once each section has been marked as complete, you will be asked to agree to the declaration. Please read the information carefully and, once you have confirmed your agreement to its terms, you can then move on to the payment section.

Pay and send

You will not see this screen if you are applying through a school or college that has an alternative payment arrangement with UCAS. Otherwise, you pay the application fee online using a credit or debit card. After this section is complete, your application is sent to us or, if you are applying through a school or college, to your referee. Please check the cost of applying section for more information about payment. Once we receive your application, either from you or your tutor, we will process it, send a copy to each of your chosen universities and colleges and send you a welcome letter.

You can only send us one application in each year's application cycle. If you send a second application, it will be cancelled and you will not receive a refund.

Need more information?

If you cannot find the answers you are looking for on this site or in the help sections of Apply, you can contact our Customer Service Unit on +44 (0)871 468 0 468, Monday to Friday, 08:30 - 18:00 (UK time).

UK BT landline calls will cost no more than 9p per minute. Calls from mobiles and other networks may vary.