The UCAS equal consideration deadline for ‘on time’ university applications was 6.00pm on 31 January 2024. Don’t worry if you missed the deadline, you’ve still got time to apply to start university this September.

Make a late application

The new deadline you’re now looking at is 30 June 2024. Applying after the deadline means some popular courses won’t have spaces left once offers start to be made, but most courses will still accept late applications. Those remaining places won’t hang around forever, so spend time putting a really good application together as soon as you decide.

Timing your application

The only time when late applicants are best advised to hold back their application is in the days after the January deadline. If you hold out until mid-to-late February, universities will notify UCAS whether they will be in UCAS Extra and or which courses.

This year, UCAS Extra opens on 28 February 2024. If you’ve used all five choices, and you’re not holding any offers, you can add another choice using Extra.

Extra is another chance for you to gain a place at university. If you’re eligible, during this period you’ll be able to apply to additional universities, one at a time.

If you don’t get the offer you want in Extra, don’t worry – you can still use Clearing to add another choice. 

What if you miss the 30 June deadline?

If you miss the 30 June deadline, you can still apply, but after this date, your application will automatically go into Clearing. Don’t panic, this is a great way to find a course that you may never have considered before. 60,000 students find their uni place through Clearing every year, so that’s not a bad place to be.

Checking what’s on offer

The course search facility on the UCAS website is a good first port of call to check on places that are still available.

Don’t forget course availability is changing all the time. You’ll need to check with the universities that interest you before making an application.

Your personal statement

All other aspects of the application process remain the same. You will need a good personal statement and a reference. There are plenty of handy guides online that will help you ace this. Check tees.ac.uk/events as we often run workshops to help you, or watch our Personal Statement Top Tips video.

Let your teachers know as soon as possible that you intend to apply so that a reference can be arranged.

Good luck!