UCAS Apply Guide 2023

1. UCAS Apply 2023
A Foolproof Guide
https://www.ucas.com/

2. The UCAS Hub
 A new service last year – all your application
needs in one place.
 Course/Apprenticeship finding tool
 Apply form
 Open Day finder
 Personal statement help
 Live chat to students
 Financial advice
 Student offers
 Explore cities

3. Registering for an account.
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Security marking: PUBLIC

4. Security marking: PUBLIC
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Head to
ucas.com
Select Sign in
from the drop-
down menu.
Registering for an account

5. Security marking:
PUBLIC/INTERNAL USE
ONLY/CONFIDENTIAL | 5
Select the relevant sign in
Undergraduate 2023 unless
you are thinking of
deferring.

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Choose Register.
Registering for an account

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Complete the short form.
Make sure the password is
memorable.
Registering
for an account

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We’ll email you a code to
verify your email
address, so we know
we’ve got the right details.
Registering for an account

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Once you’ve registered, we
ask you a few questions like
when you want to start
studying, where you live and
what you’re interested in so
we can tailor the information
you see.
Make sure you choose the
correct study year, 2023 if
you want to start next year.
Registering for an account

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Choose the correct
level of study, it's
Undergraduate if you
are still at
school/college.
You can choose to get
information on
apprenticeships and
conservatoires here
too.
Tell us where you live
so we can direct you to
the right information.
Registering for an account

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Choose if you want to get
tailored information about
uni, college and
apprenticeship options.
Select the subjects that you
are interested in – you can
change these at any point in
your preferences.
Then scroll right to the
bottom to Create account.
Registering for an account

12. Starting your application.
Security marking: PUBLIC | 12

13. Correct as of 5 May 2021 | 13
Security marking: PUBLIC
To start your UCAS
application click on the
Your application tile.
Starting your application

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Security marking: PUBLIC
To start your 2023
UCAS application
click on the Your
application tile with
the red circle.
Make sure you have the correct
year

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Security marking: PUBLIC
If you're applying with
the help of your school,
college or centre then
select Yes and enter our
Buzzword.
Our buzzword is:
Hornpark23
Linking to your school, college or
centre

16. Correct as of 5 May 2021 | 16
Security marking: PUBLIC
Enter the buzzword, and
confirm the details are
correct.
This will link your
application to your
school or college, so
they can track your
progress and provide
support, including
adding your reference
Linking to your school, college or
centre

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Security marking: PUBLIC
Once your application has
been linked, you can then
select a group for your
application.
Choose your personal tutor
from the drop down list – your
actual one, not who you spend
Friday P3 with.
Do not use Default Group
Linking to your school, college or
centre

18. Application overview.
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Security marking: PUBLIC

19. Correct as of 5 May 2021 | 19
Security marking: PUBLIC
Your homepage is where
you'll see the sections that
need completing.
You don’t need to complete
the application at once, you
can log in and out at any time
until you're finished.
As you add information to
each tile, the percentage
complete dial should
increase each time you mark
a section as complete.
Application overview

20. Correct as of 5 May 2021 | 20
Security marking: PUBLIC
The second section is your profile
- information about you.
The tiles will give you an
overview; if a section is complete,
in progress, or you need to start it.
All sections must be marked as
complete to send to UCAS.
You must complete all mandatory
questions to mark a section as
complete (they have a *).
Application overview

21. Key points - Registering
 Register and Apply for 2023 entry (even if you are
deferring entry to 2024)
 Make sure you are applying for undergraduate.
 Follow the instructions to create an account.
 Verify your email address – an email will be sent with a
code you must enter (type it if copy and paste doesn’t
work).

22.  Once registered you can log in to Apply.
 You will need the buzzword which is
“Hornpark23”
 You can use personal or school email.
 Select your actual Personal Tutor (not
necessarily who does your Friday lesson) for the
group to join.
 No one should use Default group.
 Save your login details (user name, password
and ID number) on your phone. Do this now as
this is the only time you will see it.

23. (Un)Common Mistakes
 Trying to log on to UCAS Track or UCAS APPLY 2022 –
you are logging on to/registering with APPLY 2023.
 This should be less of a problem with the new Hub.
 Putting your name in twice and your address in twice
 Spelling your name wrong or not using capital letters at
the beginning of your name.
 Using the non-UK nationality if you have dual – you will
be charged overseas fees.
 Student Support: Fee Code (usually 02) & Student
Support arrangements (where you live e.g. Bromley)
 Putting in the wrong dates you were at schools.
 Putting in individual sciences if you did Combined
Science (Trilogy)
 Highest level of qualification you expect to have before
you start your course: Below Honours Degree
 Asking for everything to be sent in Welsh.

24. Things you should do
 Give your home and mobile numbers.
 Make sure the name you enter matches that on your exam
certificates (see Miss Roberts if there is a problem)
 Area of Residence e.g. Lewisham.
 Nominated access.
 Criminal Convictions – hopefully none.
 Disability – including dyslexia, ASD and ADD
 Questions on Equality, Religion, Sexual Orientation and Parental
Occupational Background should be answered from the drop down
choices or you can select: “I prefer not to say”.
 Include all qualifications, including GCSEs graded U
 Activities in preparation for Higher Education.
 Have you been in care – including adoption?
 Choices: up to 5; you can enter 2 or 3 add in the rest later
 Fee: £27 for 2023 entry (or £22.50 for one choice only); pay by
Credit/Debit Card

25. Education
 All secondary schools you have attended with dates.
 Advanced level subjects will be Pending August 2023.
 EPQ
 GCSE Subjects
 Other e.g. BTEC
 Music, Drama qualifications
 D of E
 Delf

26. Employment
 Anything paid, but not work experience,
unless you have done this for a
reasonable length of time.
 Just click section complete if you haven’t
done any.

27. Personal Statement
 This is your chance to sell yourself to the
admissions tutor.
 You have 4000 characters including spaces.
 You may only write one.
 You should draft it in Unifrog and paste it into
UCAS when it has been approved.
 First draft due 27th May. Personal tutors will
feedback by beginning of exam week. Second
draft due June 20th.

28. Other Tips
 If you are planning a Gap year you can still apply now for “deferred
entry”
 Check for any error messages on the screen which will indicate
things you have left out.
 Do not begin another application; if you forget your password or
can’t log on, email Mrs Bean or Mr Snell.
 Use the drop down and help buttons – they are there to help.
 Finishing off: you tick various boxes which are your declaration that
you have answered everything honestly, in your own words and
know you are entering into a contract with UCAS and have paid the
fee.
 Please tick the box which allows school to follow the progress of
your application.
 Send to UCAS: this only comes to me for checking.
 You cannot “Pay/send” until September and then only if it has been
approved by Mr Snell or Ms Bean .

29. UCAS Tariffs
 Offers usually in the format AAB etc.
 Some will offer AAB and a tariff e.g. 136 points
 Tariff points A* 56; A 48; B 40; C 32; D 24; E 16
 Some offers may be tariff points “from a
minimum of 2 or 3 A levels”.
 Music and other exams will not be worth points
from the more competitive, academic
universities.

30. Warning
 Please check carefully the entry requirements for all your choices -
more than one student has been rejected because they simply had
not got the right A levels for the course
 Tell the truth: we will check your GCSE results!
 Find your GCSE certificates and keep them safe: you may need
them for future job applications.
 Everything except your Personal Statement and Choices MUST be
entered before the end of term.
 In total it should take about 45 minutes or less to complete.
 Deadlines: Oxbridge and Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary Medicine
15th October – we need completed application 2 weeks prior to this
for checking. DO NOT miss this internal deadline.
 For all other applications the school deadline is the end of
November (except for particular cases).

31. Choosing which university to apply to.
 Choose a range of universities based on a spread of
offers – 1 aspirational, 2 solid and 2 insurance.
 Even if you are predicted top grades, things can go
wrong.
 The students who get the most rejections are usually the
cleverest people – why?
 Do not obsess about the “Russell Group”.
 Choose course first and then university.
 Look carefully at modules: History at one university may
be vastly different at another.
 Conditional and Unconditional offers.