Overseas students’ applications are considered until 30th June (also late, but some uni still accept students now).

You have 5 choices of applications, and if you have say, 5 offers, you choose one insurance choice (basically, your 2nd best choice, or offer you think you can match best) and a firm choice (your preferred university/offer).

After that, if you meet the offer of your firm choice, you’re in, if you don’t, you may be considered for your insurance choice. If you meet the offer, you’re in that one, if you don’t, you need to apply to Clearing (at any uni, not just those 2, or the 5 you initially applied for, but ANY uni in the UK).

In case all 5 choices have rejected you, you may apply to a 6th choice in UCASextra (one more choice, so choose wisely). If they offer you a place, then I suggest you make it your firm choice. If you meet the offer, you go there, if you don’t, you’ll again have to phone whoever you’re interested in on 16th Aug (or after that, but it’s a very competitive process, so I advise you do that on that day, when A levels results are out!) at the start of the clearing process.

Clearing is when they look at your score, and lower their standards to accept you or not.

Before clearing, universities have a DUTY to accept you if you meet their offers (and you’ve chosen them as your firm choice). Similarly though, they CAN (if they wish) accept you even though you may not meet the offer exactly (so for eg, to avoid long admin work, they may accept you with 280 points when the offer was for 300 points).

So, check carefully UCAStrack to make sure of their decision (and phone them if you have any doubt, because it’s always better that they hear your voice and may be swayed that way).