Medicine and Deadlines

 UCAS stands for University and College Admissions Service. It is the route which all applicants must take to apply to universities in the UK. Schools/colleges should sign you up, providing you with a username and password. Follow instructions very carefully and remember UCAS uses the highest security systems for a reason. Your personal details in the wrong hands can cause serious malice. Nobody including UCAS and teachers should ever be told your password. They have no need for it.When I used the UCAS system in 2004 and 2005, UCAS was called UCRAP amongst teachers and students, and for good reason. The deadline for medicine applicants is 15^th October. I submitted my second application to UCAS on the 1^st October 2005, proudly thinking I was extremely efficient at time management. My referee submitted my application and on the 2^nd October, UCAS apply read ‘your application has been submitted and you should receive a welcome letter in the next week.’ Nothing came and UCAS apply still stated the above, I rang UCAS and was told to wait a bit longer. Eventually October 15^th came and passed and still nothing had happened. This was the same for countless other applicants. UCAS had crashed. Technically I was okay as UCAS had received my application before the 15^th October deadline, but it was a heartache hat could do without!So what am I trying to get across? UCAS is a computer programme, we have all seen them crash and go wrong and UCAS is no different. Your UCAS form should be submitted well within the deadline. I would recommend that you aim for your application to be submitted 1^st October.

What does the 15^th October deadline actually mean?

It is UCAS, not the individual university who must have your application by 15^th October. You can see your application progress in real-time by using UCAS apply. So if Apply says your application has been sent to them, prior to the 15^th October, then you are okay.Thanks to Matt996 for pointing out the next crucial point. When you as an applicant hit the ‘send’ button, your application is sent to your referee, NOT UCAS. It is your referee who must complete the submission to UCAS so keep an eye on Apply for confirmation.  All sorts of stories about applicants failing to miss the deadline have been seen on the forums ranging from referees going off sick and to submission of applications on the night of the deadline on a weekend. I suggest you aim that UCAS has you application by the 1^st October

Links – BBC News, UCAS cock up

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