Applying to UCLan
A realistic Guide to life at UCLan - written by students!
by Alison Whitfield, 2nd year, Sports Journalism Year, age 19
Applying to university can be a stressful experience but don’t panic because there are people there to help you. First of all the whole system can get very confusing so here a few bits of information and a few tips on all the different aspects of applying to UCLan.
Applying through UCAS
You can submit an application for university through www.ucas.com from September 1st each year. When it comes to submitting your application you’ll probably have visited at least a few different universities and decided on where you want to go and what you want to study. The UCAS website is pretty simple to navigate yourself around and you can fill in some sections, save them and come back to your application another time if you wish.
The biggest part of your university application is probably your Personal Statement. Get going on this as soon as you can and take your time with it as it is your opportunity to sell yourself which will help your case for a place on your chosen degree, especially if it’s a popular, competitive subject! Don’t forget there’s a UCAS helpline if you get stuck at any point and your college teachers will usually be able to help you out too. Once UCLAN have received your application you may be contacted to go for an interview with admissions or to submit some relevant work you’ve done. Don’t panic about this just remember to be professional, well informed and most importantly be yourself!
Once you’ve applied through UCAS you get a ‘’Track Status’’ which will usually say something like “Pending” for months. You’ll probably find yourself logging on everyday just to see if anything’s different but a little tip, UCAS will ask to send you emails telling you when something has changed so don’t drive yourself mad by checking it every five minutes, especially around results time. UCAS is pretty easy to work your way around and there’s a lot of help on there if you get confused.
“I didn’t get the grades I needed!!” “I haven’t applied but I want to come to UCLan!!” “HELP!!”
If it comes to August and you haven’t got the grades you needed or even if you haven’t applied yet, don’t panic!! ‘’Clearing” at UCLan is the system where you may still be able to get a place on the course you wanted. However, there will probably be limited places through clearing so it is best not to leave applying until then to be sure to get a place. The first thing you should do is get onto the UCLAN website or give them a call to see about the vacancies they have. You’ll also usually be able to find out this information on the UCAS website. Then if you wish you can go to an open day, usually held near the end of August, or you can get on with filling in the required forms to get you onto your course. Don’t forget UCLAN’s accommodation team are brilliant but you’ll need to get on with sorting that very quickly because places will fill up fast.
International students
If you want to move from overseas to come and study at UCLan there is a separate application form on the university website www.uclan.ac.uk. If you go onto that site all the relevant information is listed with the application form!
If you’re applying for a Post Graduate or NHS course there are also different application routes which can be found again at www.uclan.ac.uk!
