UCAS : Universities & Colleges Admissions Service
UCAS is the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK. The organisation processes more than two million applications for full-time undergraduate courses every year and assists students to find the right course.
Birmingham College is a registered UCAS centre. We try to make the application procedures as easy as possible for our students and the transition to university education as smooth as possible.
Internal Applicants
All internal applicants will have the opportunity to register for UCAS if they wish study further at university. Please note that when you apply to UCAS you will need to enter the institution Buzzword. This buzzword is available from your tutors.
External / independent Applicants
All external/ Independent applicants please contact the UCAS Centre Advisor for more information on 0121 212 0888 / hl@bcol.co.uk.
Both internal and external students who have applied through our UCAS Centre have gone on to secure places at leading UK universities including:
- Imperial College London
- University College London
- Kings College London
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Queen Mary, University of London
- University of Warwick
- University of Birmingham
- University of Nottingham
- Cardiff University
- University of Bristol
- Aston University
- University of Kent
- University of Manchester
- University of Sheffield
- University of Surrey
- University of Southampton
- University of York
- University of Leicester
- University of Leeds
Stage 1 : Application
- Choose a course
- Cross-check the course requirements with your predicted grades
- Select 5 Universities/ Colleges where you would like to study
- Contact your tutors for references
Stage 2: Registration
1. All students will need to register for UCAS. This is where you will be required to have the Buzzword. All students will be shown step by step how to complete this procedure.
2. Those of you who have applied for courses which require entry tests such as BMAT, UKAT, LNAT or universities that will conduct interviews will be required to start your preparations. After you have submitted the application the University can contact you at any time so you must be prepared.
Stage 3: Track
1. After you have submitted the application to UCAS, 'Track' is where you will be informed about possible offers from universities and colleges. Once you have submitted your application to UCAS the university can contact you at any time so you must be prepared.
2. During this time all applicants must regularly check on Track and your emails for any updates regarding applications such as qualification query, interview arrangements, document requests etc. Hence all applicants must also ensure that your contact details on UCAS are kept up to date.
3. After receiving the decisions from your five choices, you need to:
- Accept one as your Firm Choice :Your firm acceptance is your first choice - this is your preferred choice out of all the offers you have received. You can only have one firm acceptance.
- Accept one as your Insurance choice :(Optional, You don't have to accept an insurance choice - if you're not sure about any of your other choices) - If your firm choice is a conditional offer, you can accept another offer as an insurance choice. Your insurance choice can be conditional or unconditional and acts as a back-up, so if you don't meet the conditions for your firm choice but meet the conditions for your insurance, you will be committed to the insurance choice. You can only have one insurance choice.
- If you have no offers from any universities then there is still an option for you to get an offer through clearing or the adjustment process.
Stage 4: Results
Unconditional Offer :
Those students who have met the conditions of their offer will now hold unconditional offers to study at their chosen institutions. Congratulations!
Clearing :
Unfortunately some of you may not achieve the required grades; in this instance you may be eligible for Clearing.
Clearing is a service available between July and September, but for most people it is used after the exam results are published in August. It can help people without a university or college place to find suitable vacancies on higher education courses. If you are flexible and you have reasonable exam results, there is still a good chance you will find another course through Clearing.
For More information on clearing : http://www.ucas.com/students/nextsteps/clearing/
Adjustment :
Each year some applicants pass their exams with better results than expected. And this may mean that some will have not only met the conditions of their firm choice, but will have exceeded them. The Adjustment process is for these applicants - it provides an opportunity for them to reconsider where and what to study. However, you are only eligible if you have met and exceeded your original CF offer conditions. It will be up to the universities and colleges to verify this.
For More information on adjustment:
http://www.ucas.com/students/nextsteps/adjustment/
Careers guidance:
For general information on university:
For researching courses and institutions:
Tests for medical applicants:
Tests for law applicants
Student Finance: (Local Students)
Timetable for 2014 applications:
| Mid-September 2013 | 2014 entry applications can be sent to us. |
| 14 October 2013 | Deadline for receipt at UCAS of applications to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, and all with choices for courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine/science to reach UCAS. |
| 13 January 2014 | Deadline for receipt of applications at UCAS for all courses except those listed with a October 2014 deadline and art and design courses with 24 March 2014 deadline. Go to Course Search to check application deadlines for courses. |
| 24 February 2014 | If you are eligible to use Extra, you can refer yourself to another choice. |
| 24 March 2014 | Deadline for the receipt of applications at UCAS for art and design courses except those listed with a 13 January 2014 deadline. Go to Course Search to check application deadlines for courses. |
| 31 March 2014 | If your application is received by 15 January, the universities and colleges should aim to have sent us their decisions by this date (but they can take longer). |
| 9 May 2014 | If you receive all decisions from your universities/colleges by 31 March, you need to reply to any offers by this date (unless you are applying through Extra). If we don't receive your replies, we will decline your offers on your behalf. |
| 12 May 2014 | If you applied by 13 January and are waiting for decisions, universities and colleges need to send us their decisions by this date. If they don't, we will make any outstanding choices unsuccessful on their behalf. |
| 6 June 2014 | If you receive all your decisions from your universities/colleges by 9 May, you need to reply to any offers by this date (unless you are applying through Extra). If we don't receive your replies, we will decline your offers on your behalf. |
| 27 June 2014 | If we receive all decisions from your universities or colleges by 6 June, you need to reply to any offers by this date (unless you are applying through Extra). If we don't receive your replies, we will decline the offers on your behalf. |
| 30 June 2014 | If you send your application to us by this date, we will send it to your chosen universities and colleges. If we receive your application after this date, you'll be entered into Clearing. |
| 4 July 2014 | Last date to apply through Extra. |
| 18 July 2014 | If you applied by 30 June and are waiting for decisions, universities and colleges need to send us their decisions by this date. If they don't, we will make any outstanding choices unsuccessful on their behalf. |
| 24 July 2014 | If we receive all decisions from your universities/colleges by 18 July, you need to reply to any offers by this date (this includes if you are applying through Extra). If we don't receive your replies, we will decline your offers on your behalf. |
| 25 July 2014 | This is the last date to make changes to your replies. |
| August 2014 to be confirmed |
SQA results are published and the Scottish Clearing vacancy information service starts. |
| 14 August 2014 | GCE and Advanced Diploma results are published and the full
Clearing vacancy information service starts. Adjustment opens for registration. |
| 31 August 2014 | Adjustment closes. |
| 19 September 2014 | Last date we will accept applications for courses starting in 2014. |
| 30 September 2014 | The Clearing vacancy search is closed after this date. You should contact universities direct to discuss vacancies. Clearing choices can still be added in Track. |
