When will you start applying to unis?

[hermine0817]

I know that the timing depends all where you want to study and what you want to study, but I would still like to know when everybody else started applying to unis please. (or will start for that matter.) Besides I heard that you would have to start applying during summer break in some cases because you would have to sit an entrance exam in september (Oxbridge for instance) so that I was getting worried by now cause I have no idea where to apply.

So can you people tell me

1. When you start(ed) applying

2. Where you start(ed) applying

3. What you want(ed) to study

(4. Whether you were taken)

please?

Thank you.

p.s. I want to study something related to science or medicine. Any advise where to apply?

p.p.s. I hope nobody opoened up a thread about this already... I saw where they were taken, but didn't see when they started applying...

Edited April 16, 2009 by hermine0817

[Vvi]

The application process for the UK begins at the beginning of September. It's all done online at www.ucas.com. You can't apply any earlier than when UCAS decides to start the application process, because they won't let you send the form in before the site opens. However, you can fill in the form completely and on the day that the site opens, you can pay online for the application (it costs 17 pounds). The deadline for Oxbridge applications is in mid-October, so those that do apply have to get themselves sorted out with a personal statement and reference before everyone else. Write your PS at the end of summer, and get the application done early. Then you don't have to worry about it in December, all you do is sit back and wait for replies. The replies will come online through a program called Track. The deadline for replying to all of your offers is June 4th, everyone has the same final deadline.

For the US and the UK, the deadline for applications is usually in January. Some US universities have later deadlines, but you have to make sure that you send in your applications as soon as possible because of the time it takes for post to be delivered. All of the application process for the UK is handled online, but they send you things in the post as confirmation and universities send letters of acceptance in the post too.

In short: apply for UK universities between September and January, the same for US universities.

[moneyfaery]

Doubt you're referring to Canada (interested in the UK and US, I'm guessing?), but anyway:

- Started applying in late Dec/Jan over the Christmas break via OUAC

- Applied to mainly Life Sci/Biomed Sci programs

- Accepted to all during the period of late mid-Jan to late March/early Apr

The UK has med right after secondary school/college but med in the US is a graduate program. Maybe just something to consider.

[__inthemaking]

I only applied to Canadian unis.

Applied in late December.

Applied to all science/pre-med programs.

First acceptance came in early January, last one came in early May.

[Hyperbole]

If you are applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary sciences in the UK you also need to apply before October 15 because of the entrance tests and interviews needed for those courses. I think science degrees are not included in that, but it would be wise for you to look at that well before September comes around.

The deadline for replying to all of your offers is June 4th, everyone has the same final deadline.

No, actually, your deadline for replying to offers is individual. It depends on when you got your last reply from the universities you applied to; I, for instance, got my last offer around February 20, and my deadline for replying was May 4. You will be informed about that in detail when you are in the process of applying, though, so don't worry about it right now.

As for me:

1. I started writing my Personal Statement in September, and had been looking over unis and courses over the summer. I asked my referee to write my reference in early September, I think. I didn't actually start the application process at the UCAS website until October, because I didn't decide to apply to Oxford until October 5. The whole application was sent in by October 15, but I added two more universities a few weeks later (only applied to three in the first go - adding up to five unis after you've sent in the application is easy). After that, I reckon Medicine students have to find out what extra tests (BMAT and whatever they're all called) they need to take, and what the deadlines are for those (actually, I think you may need to do some of them before you apply through UCAS, so you should make sure to inform yourself about that in the summer before you apply). Then you may be called for interview any time between early November to ... March? Oxbridge interviews are in December.

2. I've only applied to UK universities, through UCAS. Had some assistance from the UCAS coordinators at my school.

3. I applied for French and Linguistics, so I don't know all that much about science or medicine applications.

4. I was rejected from Oxford after interview, but offered places at the other four. I've now selected a Firm choice and an Insurance choice, so I'm definitely going to uni in Scotland in September.

As for where you should study, it really depends on what you want. Medicine is very competitive, and I think science is fairly competitive too. If you expect 40+ points you may want to give Oxbridge a shot, but I think there are many other universities which truly deserve your time too. You should consider what kind of university you want to go to (campus based or city based? what country?) and what you want the course to be like (make sure to read the prospectuses!).

[Vvi]

When you apply for universities, don't only look at the prospectus. Go online and search for the specific modules that the course will cover. For example, my course next year at Leeds has these modules: http://webprod1.leeds.ac.uk/catalogue/dynp...p;P=BA-POLI%2FS , and some of them are exactly what I want to study so I picked Leeds for my firm choice. Don't apply to universities without checking their module programmes; I did that, and wasted my time applying to Edinburgh when their course was very philosphical (I hate the philosophy of politics) , mostly focused on British politics and not anything like what I wanted to study.

Also check university rankings online before you apply, but don't depend on them to make the final choice for you. I chose Leeds over Nottingham, even though Nottingham was ranked higher, because the cost of living is lower in Leeds, the students' union is better, Leeds' self-catering accommodation is less restricting and the university was in a better location.

Also be aware that prospectuses don't tell the whole truth. They want to market their university and attract the maximum number of students, so they only tell the positive sides. No university is going to say "there's lots of crime in our city, the cost of living is very expensive and we have a 30% drop out rate (which SOAS, a highly ranked university, has) but we'd still like you to come here". So you should read student reviews online of the university, because they are honest about both the good and bad sides. A few sites for reviews:

http://www.studento.com/

http://www.whatuni.com/degrees/home.html

http://www.push.co.uk/

http://education.guardian.co.uk/university...2276673,00.html

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Universities_2358_3

I used the last one because it has lots of reviews (I found 27 for Leeds) and it sets out the minuses and pluses very easily.

No, actually, your deadline for replying to offers is individual. It depends on when you got your last reply from the universities you applied to; I, for instance, got my last offer around February 20, and my deadline for replying was May 4. You will be informed about that in detail when you are in the process of applying, though, so don't worry about it right now.

I thought it was the same for everyone because me and all my classmates have the same deadline, even though I got my last offer in March and one girl got hers in December.

[hermine0817]

Wow, thank you everyone, for having replied so far. They are really, really helpful. I'll try to look up in internet for uni infos etc.

The problem in our school is that our school is quite new compared to others (it was founded in 2000), therefore, we don't have a solid system of teacher helping students for uni applications so far. They will make one eventually, but nobody knows when exactly.

[Adoran]

Related question; When applying for uni in the UK, do you have a larger chance of getting an offer if you apply early? My 'predicted' grades according to my teachers now are not as good as I want them to be (39-40), so I'd prefer as many chances as possible to impress my teachers before having to apply.

Thanks

[Abu]

Related question; When applying for uni in the UK, do you have a larger chance of getting an offer if you apply early? My 'predicted' grades according to my teachers now are not as good as I want them to be (39-40), so I'd prefer as many chances as possible to impress my teachers before having to apply.

Thanks

As long as you're applying before January 15th, you have an equal chance of getting an offer as anyone else that applied on the 1st of September. Once you cross January 15th, universities are not obligated to consider your application.

[Adoran]

Related question; When applying for uni in the UK, do you have a larger chance of getting an offer if you apply early? My 'predicted' grades according to my teachers now are not as good as I want them to be (39-40), so I'd prefer as many chances as possible to impress my teachers before having to apply.

Thanks

As long as you're applying before January 15th, you have an equal chance of getting an offer as anyone else that applied on the 1st of September. Once you cross January 15th, universities are not obligated to consider your application.

Excellent, thanks for the answer. I read on.. Hmm, think it was University of British Columbia's Website, that they consider applications as soon as they get them. This should logically mean that the longer you wait, the fewer open spots will be left, so your chances will be lower. Glad to see that it's not like that in the UK, at least.

[Vvi]

Related question; When applying for uni in the UK, do you have a larger chance of getting an offer if you apply early? My 'predicted' grades according to my teachers now are not as good as I want them to be (39-40), so I'd prefer as many chances as possible to impress my teachers before having to apply.

Thanks

As long as you're applying before January 15th, you have an equal chance of getting an offer as anyone else that applied on the 1st of September. Once you cross January 15th, universities are not obligated to consider your application.

Excellent, thanks for the answer. I read on.. Hmm, think it was University of British Columbia's Website, that they consider applications as soon as they get them. This should logically mean that the longer you wait, the fewer open spots will be left, so your chances will be lower. Glad to see that it's not like that in the UK, at least.

Some universities wait until they have received all applications before they give out offers. For example, St Andrews and Edinburgh wait ages (Feb-March, they don't usually send offers even if you send your application in September. That's a 6-month wait). Others, like Leeds, can send you an offer in under a month. Depends on the policy of the university, and how quickly they process applications. But I suggest sending it in early just to get it out of the way. I sent mine in October, and watched classmates panicking in January.

[Dark Matter]

When I first had to start applying and considering a university only one came to mind that I really wanted to go to: University of Manitoba. The choice was based on the fact that I was planning to go into forensics, which is now being offered there. Not that my plans now have changed from going into forensics, but I find abnormal psychology really interesting now. So I applied and got accepted there, so my option to go into forensics later on after if I feel I want to still go into it. So now my plan is to get my honours in Abnoraml Psychology giving me an art and science degree.

Thanks to IB and my stupidity I didn't have high enough grades for the advanced early admissions, but I managed to get the early admission. So I also got a $800 enterance scholarship. W00.

[Adoran]

Related question; When applying for uni in the UK, do you have a larger chance of getting an offer if you apply early? My 'predicted' grades according to my teachers now are not as good as I want them to be (39-40), so I'd prefer as many chances as possible to impress my teachers before having to apply.

Thanks

As long as you're applying before January 15th, you have an equal chance of getting an offer as anyone else that applied on the 1st of September. Once you cross January 15th, universities are not obligated to consider your application.

Excellent, thanks for the answer. I read on.. Hmm, think it was University of British Columbia's Website, that they consider applications as soon as they get them. This should logically mean that the longer you wait, the fewer open spots will be left, so your chances will be lower. Glad to see that it's not like that in the UK, at least.

Some universities wait until they have received all applications before they give out offers. For example, St Andrews and Edinburgh wait ages (Feb-March, they don't usually send offers even if you send your application in September. That's a 6-month wait). Others, like Leeds, can send you an offer in under a month. Depends on the policy of the university, and how quickly they process applications. But I suggest sending it in early just to get it out of the way. I sent mine in October, and watched classmates panicking in January.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be putting Oxford on my app, so I will definitely apply in October.