What to do if you miss the UCAS deadline

CONTENTS

1. When are the UCAS deadlines?

2. What are your options if you miss the deadline?

3. How will universities respond?

4. What happens if you miss the 30 June deadline?

When are the UCAS deadlines?

The UCAS 2024 deadline to apply for most undergraduate courses is 31 January 2024. You can still apply after this date but universities may now treat applications on a first-come, first-served basis rather than apply equal weighting.

Universities aren't required to wait until the deadline to make offers, but treat applications equally. Many students get offers before the deadline, some as early as October. 

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. 

If you're applying to Oxbridge, or a medicine, dentistry or veterinary course then the deadline is 16 October 2024 for 2025 entry. 

Find out more about UCAS deadlines and applying to university. 

What are your options if you miss the deadline?

You can still apply through the usual UCAS application system until 30 June. Applications after this date will be automatically entered into Clearing.

It's not uncommon for students to send their applications in after January. In 2021, 9.6% of all undergraduate applications were submitted after the January deadline but before the June deadline. This may be so again as some students decide to apply to university after all, or students who've already left school or college decide to make a later application. 

UCAS Extra will open on 28 February 2024, giving you an additional option should you need it. It lets you add a further choice if you hold no offers or if you decline the offers you do have. 

Use our course search to check which courses still have places available, but bear in mind this will be continually updated as these spots are filled. 

How will universities respond?

Universities will consider every application. However, after the 31 January deadline, they’re no longer required to treat each application the same. The applications received after this date will be treated as first come, first served. So don't leave it too late. 

Some popular courses (particularly those with caps on numbers) such as Midwifery and Primary Teaching may fill up quickly and some universities will have filled their spaces by the deadline. Contact the uni and check their available courses before you apply.

What happens 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 finding their uni place via Clearing every year.

If you don't want to go thorugh Clearing this year then you can wait and apply next year instead. You will have taken your exams and can apply next year with your confirmed grades. This may make it less stressful as you will know your grades and can apply for courses that you are confident you can get on to.