Extra is another chance for you to gain a place at university or college, between 25 February and 5 July. If you used all five of your choices on your original application and you’re not holding an offer, you’ll be able to add another choice using Extra.
Who can use Extra?
If you included five choices on your application, have received decisions from all five, and weren’t accepted, or if you declined the offers you received, you will be able to use Extra.
If you did not use all your choices in your initial application, you can just add another choice in Track, as long as it’s before 30 June, and you’ve not accepted or declined any offers. Remember, if you originally only applied to one choice and want to add more, you’ll be asked to pay the extra £5 application fee in Track.
If you don’t hold any offers after 5 July, you will be able to add an additional choice using Clearing.
How do you add more choices in Extra?
Adding another choice using Extra is easy – here's how to do it in three simple steps:
- Search for courses with vacancies using our search tool.
- Get in touch with the university or college to check they are able to consider you.
- Add the details in Track.
For more details, take a look at our FAQs.
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Tips when considering a choice
- Think about related or alternative subjects, as the entry requirements may be different.
- You can only apply to one course at a time, meaning you won't be able to have an insurance choice.
What happens next?
Once you have received the decision from the university or college, you just need to accept it in Track. If you accept the offer, you won't be able to apply to any more in Extra.
Make sure you reply to the offer by the date shown in Track, or your offer will be declined automatically.
If you decline the offer, or you don't get a decision within 21 days, you can add another choice. It might take universities and colleges longer than 21 days to reply – they have until midnight on 12 July to make their decisions, but it's up to you whether you want to wait or replace them with a different choice.
If you don't get the offer you want in Extra, don't worry – you can still use Clearing to add another choice.
FAQs
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Am I eligible to use Extra?
You’re eligible for Extra if you’ve used all five choices in your application and you’re not holding any offers. This means that all your choices must be either unsuccessful, you’ve declined any offers or cancelled any choices you have not received decisions for.
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How will I know if I am eligible to use Extra?
In the ‘Your choices’ section of Track the option to ‘Add an Extra choice’ will become available.
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Do I have to pay an additional fee to use Extra?
No – provided you are definitely eligible for Extra, i.e. you’ve already used all five choices, you would have paid all you needed to when you submitted your application.
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How do I add a course in Extra?
You add an Extra choice in Track. If you’re eligible, you’ll see the ‘Add an Extra choice’ option in the ‘Your choices’ section. Click on this link and enter the details of the university and course – UCAS will then make your application available to them.
If you are eligible for Extra and you cannot see the ‘Add an Extra choice’ option please contact us.
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What if I’m still waiting for decisions from some of my choices when Extra opens?
You don’t need to be ready to use Extra on 25 February. At whatever point you become eligible – up until early July – the ‘Add an Extra choice’ option will become available in Track.
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How many Extra choices can I make?
There’s no limit to the number of times you can add an Extra choice to your application while Extra is running, but you can only ever have one being considered at a time.
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Will all the universities have places available in Extra for all their courses?
Not necessarily – each university or college decides which of its courses (if any) still has places available. They inform UCAS using an online system, and these courses display the information in our search tool.
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How can I apply through Extra if the course I want isn’t available?
If the course you want to apply for is listed as no longer accepting applications in our search tool, but the university is happy for you to apply, you should ask the university to open course vacancies. If they agree to do this, you’ll be able to add the choice in Track. UCAS can’t do this on behalf of the universities.
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If I want to use Extra, but I haven’t received decisions from some of my original choices what should I do?
To be eligible for Extra, you must have used all five initial choices and not be holding any offers, or waiting for any decisions. If you’re still waiting for decisions from some of your choices but you’re certain you’re not interested in these anymore and you don’t want to wait for their decisions, you can cancel these outstanding choices in Track. The ‘Add an Extra choice’ option will then become available. You should think carefully before doing this because you won’t be able to reinstate these choices if you change your mind.
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Is it true that if the university or college doesn’t make a decision within 21 days I have to replace them with another Extra choice?
No, this isn’t the case. A university or college should try to make their decision in Track within 21 days, but sometimes they need longer. The ‘Add an Extra choice’ option will automatically become active again after 21 days. You must then decide whether to keep waiting for the university or college to make a decision, or to replace it with another choice instead. However, if you do replace it with another choice, this will prevent the university you are waiting for from making their decision.
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Is there a deadline for when I have to reply to an offer I’ve received in Extra?
Yes. If you receive an offer in Extra, the date you must reply by is shown in Track. You must reply by this date otherwise your offer will be automatically declined.
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If I’m offered a place through Extra, do I have to accept it as my firm choice, or can I accept it as an insurance choice and send my application to another university or college?
You can only have one Extra choice at any given time, so if you receive an offer through Extra you must either accept it as your firm choice or decline it. If you decline the offer you’ll be able to add another Extra choice providing there’s still time. If you use Extra, you will never have an insurance choice.
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I’m applying for a different subject, can I change my personal statement?
You can’t change your personal statement, so if you’re applying for a course that’s different from your initial choices, it’s a good idea to contact the university or college. Explain to them you’ve changed your mind and offer to send them a revised personal statement.
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If I accept a place in Extra, can I decline it and go into Clearing later?
By accepting an offer in Extra you’re making a commitment to that university or college and you’ll be placed with them if you meet the conditions of their offer. If you don’t meet the conditions of their offer, you will automatically become eligible for Clearing.
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I only made four choices because I applied for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science courses, and I’ve been unsuccessful with all of them. How can I use Extra as I haven’t used all five choices?
As you have not used five choices, you can’t normally use Extra at this stage. However, if you’ve been unsuccessful at your four medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or veterinary science choices, and you have seen a course available for application in the search tool for one of these subjects, contact the university to check if there are still places. If the university confirms there are vacancies, and they’re willing to consider your application, call our Customer Experience Centre on 0371 468 0468 for advice.
