How to apply for university.

Learn how to apply for university in the UK, and how Adobe Express can help you get your application ready.

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Signing up for university is a big decision, but it’s also an incredibly exciting one. Higher education continues to be a very popular learning route, with over 2 million students heading to uni in 2023.

But before you get carried away in picking your halls and course, there are a few things to weigh up. In this guide, we’ll explore how to apply to university in the UK, and share some key tips and templates from Adobe Express to help your application stand out.

Deciding if university is right for you.

This first step is an important one – deciding what you want to do once you finish school, and whether university is the right option for you. There are various paths you can take outside of education, from starting work to taking a gap year. So, it’s worthwhile weighing up your options before you apply.

Some of the factors you may want to consider include:

How to apply for university in the UK – step by step.

When looking at how to apply for a university, the process is slightly different for everyone. It’ll usually depend on the university and course you choose, and any other personal circumstances. However, there are some general steps you can follow to get started.

1. Find the right university for you.

This step probably requires the most thought and research. When choosing your university, you’ll need to think about:

2. Research entry requirements and application dates.

Each university (and each university course) will have different entry requirements. University websites will show you the grades needed and when the application deadlines are, along with other important details. This should help give you a better idea of how suited you are to each university.

Most unis often have application deadlines of around mid to late-January. But keep in mind that places like Oxford and Cambridge often require you to apply a little earlier.

3. Register with UCAS.

UCAS is the University and College Admissions Service. It’s essentially the middleman between you (the applicant) and the universities. All UK university submissions go through UCAS, and they pass all your details onto your chosen uni.

To get started, you’ll need to sign up to UCAS, select your 5 chosen universities, and then set about filling in all the required details and adding your CV details. Your college or sixth form will usually help you sort this out, though UCAS itself has plenty of helpful guides.

4. Write your personal statement.

Writing a good personal statement is key to showing prospective admission officers who you are, what you can do, and why they should offer you a place at their university. It’s also great practice for when you start applying for jobs, as it’s essentially a slightly different type of cover letter.

Some key elements to include are:

5. Submit your application.

After you’ve submitted your application:

Tasks
letter
Topics
college AND admissions, student
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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

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Limit


(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

6
Animated
All

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Most Viewed

Rare & Original

Newest to Oldest

Oldest to Newest

Newest to Oldest
Locales
GB or EN

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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How do university offers work?

When you receive a university offer, it’s likely that it’ll be one of the following four types:

How can Adobe Express help with your university application?

When looking at how to apply for a university, it’s important to have everything in place beforehand. Adobe Express can help get you ready to start applying, with hundreds of creative tools and templates that can make you stand out as an applicant.

With Adobe Express, you can:

1. Use free CV templates to shape your academic CV.

Write a top-notch academic CV and use our library of free templates. Not only will this ensure you tick all the boxes, but it’ll look great too.

2. Get inspired with personal statement and application letter examples.

It can be tricky to know where to start when writing a personal statement. Our collection of templates and examples can help you get things off the ground.

3. Make yourself stand out on social media.

Universities and future employers could take a look at your social media to get an idea of you as an applicant. So, it doesn’t hurt to make sure this looks great too, especially if you use sites like LinkedIn to promote yourself professionally.

4. Craft bespoke presentations for a university interview.

Some universities may ask you to come down for an interview so they can meet you in person and ensure you’re a good fit. If you really want to impress, you could try your hand at creating a presentation about yourself as a candidate, or for any tasks they might send to you.

Editable application letter templates for university.

Tasks
letter
Topics
college AND undergrad
Q

Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

Width


(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

Limit


(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

6
Animated
All

Sort

Most Viewed

Rare & Original

Newest to Oldest

Oldest to Newest

Newest to Oldest
Locales
GB or EN

Premium


(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

false

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

How to apply for university in the UK for international students?

If you’re an international student, you’ll still need to apply to your chosen UK universities through UCAS. You’ll be able to use the platform and apply to universities like everyone else, though you’ll be asked to provide a few more details.

Can I apply directly to a UK university?

Yes, it is possible to apply directly to some UK universities, though not many organisations allow this. 99% of the time, you’ll need to apply to the university through UCAS.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.