Supporting their UCAS application
From the first prospectus they pick up, to receiving their grades on results day – the UCAS application process can be a long journey. Find everything you need to help support your young person as they apply to university below.
Understanding the UCAS Tariff
The UCAS Tariff allocates a points value to post-16 qualifications.
We use this system as the basis of our entry requirements – you’ll see a UCAS Tariff points total in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of our undergraduate courses. This helps our Admissions team to compare grades and scores from a wide range of qualifications – including BTECs and A-levels.
If your young person is interested in a particular course, try to make sure they know the entry requirements in full – whether it’s a UCAS Tariff points total or a particular grade requirement, missing or ignoring these details could lead to a wasted application.
Our handy UCAS Tariff calculator will help find out what grades they need to get onto their course.
Application process step-by-step
Applying to university has several key stages. If your young person is the first in your family to go to university, we understand that it can be a bit confusing and stressful to keep up and understand all of the jargon. We’ll help you prepare for every step.
The dates below are relevant to undergraduate applications for courses starting in 2024 – if your young person interested in joining us in 2025 or beyond, this guide will give you a rough idea of what to expect and when.
UCAS will be hosting a series of higher education exhibitions across the UK. These events give prospective students a chance to meet staff and students from NTU and ask questions to find out more about university life. Our Thinking About Going to University page will give your young person some questions to consider when attending a UCAS exhibition.
It’s open day season. Open days are a great opportunity to visit universities, tour campuses, talk to subject specialists, and attend talks on the courses that they’re interested in. It’s also a great way to get a feel for the city that the university is located in.
Applications should be started in October. Make sure they take their time, ensuring that they've explored all of their options. Once they have made their choices, it’s important that they spend time building a strong application with a great personal statement.
The equal consideration deadline for applying to all 2024 entry UCAS undergraduate courses is Wednesday 31 January 2024, except those with a 16 October 2023 deadline – try to make sure that they know this key date, and that their application is in order.
If they are offered an interview, our application advice section is a must-read for tips on preparing for their interview what to expect.
Encourage your young person to visit our accommodation pages. If we’ve offered them a place and they’ve made us their firm (first) choice, they’ll be able book through our system which usually opens in March. We recommend applying for accommodation as early as possible to make sure they avoid missing out on their preferred option.
At this point, they should also begin to arrange their funding with the Student Loans Company. They’ll need to apply for a loan to cover their tuition fees and living costs. They can also check to see if they’re eligible for any NTU-funded scholarships or bursaries.
If your young person applied by Wednesday 31 January 2024, the deadline for universities / colleges to respond to your application is Thursday 16 May 2024.
After this, applicants must reply to offers by Thursday 6 June 2024 (except those living overseas and/or those who applied through UCAS Extra).
Clearing opens at NTU in early July. If they have had their results already, they can get in touch with our Admissions team to discuss course availability.
It’s A-level results day on Thursday 15 August 2024. If they haven’t quite got the grades they expected, they should get in touch with our Clearing team to discuss their options. Find out how you can support them on A-level results day.
We’ll send out enrolment, induction and Welcome information to those who've confirmed their place, along with details on how to complete their DBS and FTP checks if applicable to their course.
After they have received their results, they should make sure to confirm their accommodation booking and begin Preparing for University.
We welcome our new students to NTU! Our Welcome events offer activities and opportunities to meet new people and to help them settle in before term starts.
Communications
Here’s a summary of what your young person can expect to receive from us across the stages of their application.
Before applying
If they’ve already provided their details to us, they’ll join our mailing list. Our emails and letters are a great way to stay in touch and receive application advice, invites to our open days, and hear about what it’s like to study at NTU.
After applying
Once they’ve submitted their application to NTU, we’ll confirm receipt of it and try to respond within 10 working days. We’ll also get back in touch by email if we need to ask them for any more personal details and further evidence or invite them to an interview.
Receiving an offer
If they receive an offer from NTU, they’ll be notified by email. They’ll also start to receive more information related to their course, including invitations to our offer holder days. They’ll have the opportunity to meet with NTU staff and students and get a sense of what’s on offer at NTU.
As the UCAS deadline for responding to offers approaches, we’ll send them a courtesy reminder to ensure that they reply to our offer.
After results day
If the applicant has met the conditions of our offer, we’ll email them to confirm their place at NTU. We’ll send this confirmation through the post too, along with a guide on starting at NTU. Our Welcome team will also be in touch, so make sure that their contact details are up to date with UCAS.
The email and letter will be issued as soon as possible after results day – keep them safe, as they’re official documents, and they’ll explain what to do next.
Get in touch
If they're worried that they’ve missed a letter or email – or have any other questions, they can contact our Admissions team on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Next steps
Open days and events
Our open days and events are the perfect way to see for yourself what makes life and learning at NTU so special. We can't wait to meet you.
Providing support on results day
Wondering how you can support them on A-level results day? Find out how in our helpful guide.
Preparing for university
You can’t do everything for them, but you can help them prepare. Here are some tips on budgeting, what to take, recipe ideas, and more.