What happens to my application?
When you submit your application to UCAS, it is forwarded on to each of the universities and colleges you selected. UCS has a centralised admissions department and all UCAS communications are sent to the Admissions team. UCS starts to receive applications from UCAS from early October onwards.
We receive a high volume of applications for professional Health courses and we therefore appreciate your patience whilst each application is screened on an individual basis.
Applications for part-time undergraduate, postgraduate, and CPD/professional courses can be made by through our Online Application Form|.
Applications are then considered individually in line with the UCS admissions criteria and the specific entry requirements of the course. It is important to remember that if the course does not require an interview/audition/portfolio review, you will be made an offer on the basis of the information provided in the application form. Even in those subjects that require interview, initial decisions on inviting you to interview will be based on the information you provide on your application.
Open Days
Once you have applied to UCS and received an offer from us, you will be invited to an Open Day . At this visit, you will receive detailed information about your course, and will be able to find out more about accommodation, student finance and the UCS experience.
It is important to visit UCS while making your decision if you can. If you are unable to attend an Open Day, contact schoolsliaisonucs.ac.uk| to organise an individual visit.
Selection Days
If you have been short-listed for a Professional Health or an Art and Design course, you will be invited to attend a selection day. Details about the locations and timing for your selection day will be sent to you, as they vary by course.
In most cases, the selection day will include an overview of the course, information about UCS and the student experience, and a tour of the campus and accommodation. Some courses may also include a group interview or task alongside your individual interview.
Some interviews may require prior reading of a selected article or preparation of an article chosen by you, and you will be notified about this on your invitation letter. You may also be required to do a short written exercise at interview, or a Numeracy or Literacy Test, please do not worry about these as they are relatively short and do not require any preparation.
The selection day is also your opportunity to find out more about UCS and your course, so we hope that you find it a useful experience.
What are the deadlines for my application?
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses starting in September should be received at UCAS by 15 January. However, UCS may continue to consider applications received after this date depending on the popularity of the course. Applicants are advised to check with the Infozone team for current vacancies on courses.
Applications for part-time undergraduate and postgraduate study do not follow the same UCAS deadlines. These applications can generally be accepted throughout the year and until late summer in most instances, although the earlier you make your application the better prepared you will be for the start of your course. Applicants are advised to check with the Infozone team team for application deadlines for their programme.
How will I be informed of the decision on my application?
When UCS makes a decision full-time undergraduate applicants will receive an email from UCAS advising them to check UCAS track. Applicants will also be able to see the decision on the UCS Applicant Portal|.
The Admissions team will write to part-time and postgraduate/CPD applicants directly with the decision. Applicants will also be able to see the decision on the UCS Applicant Portal|.
When should I hear about my application?
If your course does not require an interview, the Admissions team will process your application as quickly as possible, If you have attended an interview or selection day, UCS will aim to make a decision within two weeks from the date of your interview. Please note that this is a guide only, as timings can vary during peak periods.
Decisions
Conditional offer
A conditional offer means that UCS will offer you a place providing certain conditions are met. Usually conditions are based on the completion of outstanding educational qualifications. Other non-academic conditions attached to your offer may include satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Services check (previously the Criminal Records Bureau), Occupational Health checks or satisfactory second reference. Applicants must normally meet the conditions set by UCS by 31 August of the application year. Individual deadlines may also be set to meet certain conditions.
Unconditional offer
An unconditional offer means that you have met the academic entry requirements. It is important to note that there may still be non-academic entry requirements such as a DBS Certificate (previously the CRB Disclosure), Occupational Health checks, second references etc which still need to be met.
Unsuccessful application
Applicants will receive an unsuccessful response if UCS has decided not to offer them a place on the programme. Applicants can be unsuccessful for many reasons and feedback on the reasons for an unsuccessful application can be provided on request.
Withdrawn application
An application may be withdrawn either by the applicant or by UCS. In most cases if UCS withdraws an application the reason will be displayed on UCAS Track or for part-time/postgraduate applications a letter will be sent to the applicant informing them. In cases where applicants are required to attend an interview as part of the application process applications may be withdrawn if an applicant fails to attend without making contact with UCS.
How do I accept my offer?
If you wish to accept the offer of a place for full-time undergraduate study then you must log-in to UCAS track on the UCAS website to accept your place.
When you have received notification from UCAS of all the decisions of your chosen universities, you will be asked to accept one offer firmly (your first choice) and one as insurance (your second choice). You should consider carefully before deciding on your 'firm' choice as you are entering into a contract with that university. Ideally the firm choice should be the course that you most want to take and it should also be realistic in terms of your expected examination grades.
Normally you should hold an Insurance choice as a safety net, in case things don't work out as planned with your firm choice. Normally this would be with a university or course with a lower offer (in terms of grades or points required) than the firm choice.
You should ensure that you let UCAS have your replies by the date shown on the bottom of the final decision letter. It is very important that you reply by this date or you will risk losing your offer. The date is dependent on when the final university decision is made so you should not be concerned if you have a different reply date from your friends.
If you wish to accept an offer of a place for postgraduate/part-time study, you must inform the UCS Admissions team by emailing admissionsucs.ac.uk|
Terms and Conditions of your offer
By accepting your offer at UCS, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined here| . It is important that you understand the conditions of your offer fully. If you do not understand the stated conditions or know that you will not be able to meet the conditions then please contact the UCS Admissions team as soon as possible.
What formal documentation will I receive?
If you firmly accept an offer from UCS you will be sent a Confirmation of Acceptance Letter which also provides you with information on applying for student accommodation and applying for Student Finance.
Throughout June, July, August and September applicants who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer of a place with us will be sent an Enrolment etter. Applicants who have accepted a conditional offer and meet those conditions when we receive your exam results will be sent an Enrolment letter on receipt of your results and when you successfully meet your conditions.
The Enrolment letter and the Applicant Portal contains information that will help you prepare for the start of your course and will include information on induction and online enrolment.
UCS Admissions will mainly communicate to applicants via email. However we will send some correspondence via letter and we will also send SMS text reminders to applicants. This will be based on the information provided by the applicant on their application form. it is therefore vital that all applicants regularly monitor/check their correspondence addresses/phone numbers/email accounts and inform UCS should there be any changes to this information. Due to the volume of applications received, it is the sole responosibility of the applicant to ensure they do not miss deadlines/communication accociated with their application.
Applicant Portal
All students that apply to UCS before 30 June will be given access to the UCS Applicant Portal. The Applicant Portal is designed to help support you through the application process, answer any questions you may have on the admissions process and allow you to track the status of your application.
The Portal is designed as a safe environment for applicants to chat to each other, make new friends and ask questions. You will also be able to read about student life in Suffolk and Great Yarmouth, read profiles of current students, learn more about student accommodation and find out more about the UCS Students' Union. You will also find out details about your induction and complete your enrolment on here.
You will be sent an email from the Admissions team after your application is received detailing how to access the portal and providing you with your unique username and password.
It is important to keep your log-in details safe as you will need to log-on to the portal on a regular basis to find out key information throughout the application process.
Applicants who appy after 30 June will be given a guest login to the Applicant Portal and once your place is confirmed you will then be sent a personalised username and pasword.
Meeting conditions of the offer
If you are holding a conditional offer, UCS receives direct notification of most examinations, including the following:
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GCE qualifications taken in the UK
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BTEC Nationals
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Irish Leaving Certificate
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Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers
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International Baccalaureate
You do not need to notify UCS of your results in the respect of the above examinations. If you intend to sit any other examinations, you must arrange for the results of these examinations to be sent to the Admissions Office.
It is the responsibility of all applicants holding conditional offers to provide evidence that they have met all of the conditions of their offer before they can be given the status of enrolled student. If, however, an applicant has failed to achieve the requirements specified they should contact the Admissions Office for advice.
Verification of Qualifications
Applicants to all courses are required to provide evidence of qualifications held. You are responsible for ensuring that you send evidence of any qualifications detailed on your application. This means that you must provide the Admissions Office with an original transcript or certificate, or a clear and legible copy that has been authenticated by the issuing organisation or other authorised person.
Can I make an application for deferred entry?
If you wish to take a year out, UCAS offers applicants the opportunity to submit an application specifying that you want to defer entry to the following year. You must meet the conditions of entry by 31 August in the year that you applied. All applications will be screened in exactly the same way regardless of year of entry. If you decide to defer entry once you have submitted your application, UCS will normally approve such requests. You should email your Admissions Advisor to request this.
How do you determine my fee status?
The UCAS and UCS application form require you to provide information which will then be used by UCS to help determine your fee status. UCS seeks to confirm fee status at an early stage in the application process as offers of admissions must indicate if International fees are to be paid. In situations where it is not clear if you should be classified as a Home/EU Fee paying student or as an International fee paying student, UCS will write to you to request further information and in such circumstances you will be sent a Fee Assessing questionnaire for completion. Please note this will also include the request for original documents e.g. Passport.
When you reply to us, we will make an assessment and then write to you to advise if Home Fees or International Fees are due. If you fail to reply to our communications or do not complete the Fee Assessment questionnaire, then in order to process an offer, International fees will be applied. At this time you will be encouraged to provide evidence if you believe that this decision is incorrect and that in fact you are eligible for Home Fees.
In line with UKBA Tier 4 Requirements UCS holds a sponsorship licence and will issue a Confirmation of Accceptance (CAS) to those International applicants who have accepted an unconditional offer and provided us with all required documentation. This will act as your confirmation that UCS has agreed to be your education provider sponsor for your chosen course of study.
Declaration of Criminal Convictions
UCS aims to provide a supportive, positive and safe environment for learning and teaching. For this reason all applicants will be required to declare any relevant criminal convictions. The relevance of criminal convictions depends on the nature of the course. It is important to note that having a criminal conviction does not automatically prevent an application from being accepted on a course. For the majority of courses, only offences against the person of a violent or sexual nature, or offences concerned with commercial drug dealing or trafficking, have to be declared.
How do I obtain an Enhanced DBS disclosure?
You do not need to worry about obtaining these forms yourself; these will be sent to you by the Admissions Office when you have confirmed your offer or during the six-month period before your course starts. It is vital that the forms are completed correctly so please ensure you read the accompanying letter and guidance notes before completing them. Incorrect or forms with missing information are returned to us by the DBS Office and this inevitably causes delays. Once the application form has been sent to the DBS they can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to be returned. If you want to read more about DBS checks please refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service| website for further information.
The current cost of an Enhanced DBS check is £44. Applicants applying for NHS-funded courses do not have to meet this cost. Please note BA Social Work applicants are however required to meet the full cost of the Enhanced DBS check.
UCAS Extra
The UCAS Extra scheme opens at the end of February and runs until the end of June and gives applicants who are not holding any offers a further opportunity to make an additional application. UCS will declare to UCAS the programmes for which they will accept Extra applications and these will be posted on the UCAS website.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the name given to the period in August each year when UCS receives A level and other UK examination results for any applicants who have accepted conditional offers. On the basis of these results, applicants who achieve the grades required by their conditional offer will have their place confirmed. Applications from those students who have not quite met the required grades may be reviewed and their places may still be confirmed. You will receive a letter confirming your acceptance, if you have met the terms of your offer.
UCAS Clearing
Clearing is a process run by UCAS to help students without university places find suitable vacancies on courses for entry in September. Clearing runs from July to September and can also provide a quick route into university courses for late applicants.