Missed the UCAS deadline for 2019 entry? Panicking that your dream of starting university in September 2019 will now not happen? There is no need to despair! There are other ways of applying to UK universities that mean you may not have missed the boat after all.
Route 1: Direct Applications in the UK
Although the official deadline was 15th January, you can still make an application through UCAS up until 30th June 2019. In order to do this we recommend that you first contact the university that you are interested in, to make sure they still have availability on the course you want to do. If they do have spaces, then you can apply through UCAS as usual.
After the 30th June, you can apply to British universities through the ‘Clearing’ system. During Clearing the universities post all the courses where they still have availability and you can apply for one of these places through UCAS. Don’t expect to see UCL, Imperial or LSE offering places at this stage but plenty of other top universities will appear in Clearing.
Route 2: Foundation Programmes to UK universities
If English isn’t your first language but you know that you want to study for your degree in the UK, then an International Foundation Programme may be the perfect option for you. On the course, you will spend time improving your English language skills, plug any academic gaps due to differences between your school curriculum and the UK one, and familiarise yourself with life in the UK. Many foundation courses actually take place at a university, and if you get high enough grades at the end of the year you may get guaranteed entry into the degree level programme.
Foundation Programmes can offer specific academic pathways which prepare you to go onto to do a degree in Business, Engineering, Law or Medicine. You can even study for a Foundation Programme with a British University here in Dubai, Herriot Watt, Middlesex and Birmingham all offer this as an entry point. Most Foundation programmes offer a direct on line application route or can be accessed via a third party provider.
Read more about the pros and cons of University Foundation Programmes.
Route 3: Private Universities in the UK
Many very reputable UK universities are privately-run and can accept applications directly from a student as well as through UCAS. These private universities tend to have excellent staff-student ratios and are particularly well-equipped to accommodate international students. Universities such as University of Buckingham offer different start dates and tend to have more flexible deadlines, although the sooner you apply, the more likely they are to have spaces. But don’t leave it until the last minute as if you are an overseas student, processing the visa can be time-consuming.
Some of the private universities have excellent reputations for example the University of Buckingham is rated 1st for teaching quality by the Sunday Times Good University Guide. New College of the Humanities based in London, offers an Oxbridge style education with one to one tutorials and high academic standards. Regent’s University London offers a more Liberal Arts approach allowing students to delay choosing their Major until later on in their studies. All of these universities offer a direct entry opportunity.
Gabbitas works with students from all over the world to secure places in UK universities throughout the year. If you can’t decide what to study at university, we offer an in-depth profiling questionnaire that assess your interests and skills and match-makes you with a suitable degree course. Get in touch to see how we can help you secure a place for 2019 entry.
