Some UCAS dates and the application journey. A guide for students and families.

The key dates you need for applications, to help your child keep their application on track

https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/dates-and-deadlines-for-uni-applications#_026-entry-application-deadlines

2026 entry application deadlines

1. APR 29 UCAS’ search tool displays 2026 entry courses
2. MAY 13 Undergraduate applications open for 2026 entry. You can register and start your application in your UCAS Hub.
3. SEP 02 Completed undergraduate applications can be submitted to UCAS. You will need a reference before you can send your application.
4. OCT 15(18:00 UK time) Deadline for applications to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and for most courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine/science. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total. 
5. JAN 14 (18:00 UK time) Equal consideration date for applications for most undergraduate courses
6. FEB 26 Extra opens. If you’ve used all five choices and are not holding any offers, you may be able to add another choice in your application. For more information, visit our Extra page. 
7. JUN 30 (18:00 UK time) Applications received by this deadline will be sent to universities and colleges. After this time, applications are automatically entered into Clearing.
8. JUL 04 Last day to add an Extra choice in your application
9. JUL 05 Clearing opens Clearing opens for eligible applicants, and vacancies are displayed in UCAS’ search tool. Applicants can release themselves into Clearing. Discover information and advice on our Clearing and results day pages.
10. SEP 24(18:00 UK time) Final date for 2026 entry applicationsUCAS Undergraduate applications must be with us by 18:00 (UK time) today to meet the final deadline for 2026 entry courses. 
11. OCT 19 Last date to add a Clearing choice

Journey of an application

1. Apply online

The UCAS Hub is designed to help your child explore all their post-18 options in one central place. They can research subjects there and find courses in the search tool, where they can check entry requirements and application deadlines. They need to register and apply in the UCAS Hub.

2. Wait to hear back

Universities or colleges will decide whether to make your child an offer. It’ll be:

• unconditional – if they’ve already met the entry requirements
• conditional – if the offer’s based on exam results 

3. Reply to offers

Once all the decisions are in, your child has to reply to their offers by a specific deadline.

• Select a firm choice – this is the first choice.
• If the firm choice is conditional, your child can select an insurance choicetoo, if they want – this is a back-up.
• Decline any other offers.

4. Find out if they’ve got a place

Your child will see in their application if their place is confirmed.

• If the firm choice is unconditional, the place is theirs.
• If the place is conditional, the university or college will update your child’s status when they have their exam results, or other evidence they’ve met the conditions.
• If they don’t meet the conditions they may be unsuccessful – in this case, they can use Clearing to apply for more courses.
• If your child changes their mind and no longer wants their firm choice, they can use the ‘decline my place’ button in their application to use Clearing to find another place. More about declining a place. 

Filling in your UCAS application

The Guidance Department will be available to support you in your application and everything you need is available on the UCAS site as well. You should also check out the websites of the Universities you are considering.

Don’t leave applying until the last minute as there’s quite a bit to do – but you don’t need to complete the application all at once. Read our advice below to help you through the application process, step by step.

https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/filling-in-your-ucas-undergraduate-application#_-diversity-and-inclusion–

UCAS 2026 Personal Statement

Applying for 2026 entry

If you’re applying to start university in 2026, the personal statement is changing from one long piece of text to three questions. Find out what to include in your answers, plus subject-specific personal statement guides to help you understand what admissions staff are looking for.

Writing your 2026 entry personal statement

We talk you through how to make the most of the 4,000 characters and write a personal statement that stands out.

Personal Statements for Cambridge

You will need to write a personal statement for your UCAS application.

Your UCAS personal statement is your chance to tell us about your academic interests. It will help us to understand your potential as a Cambridge student.

Personal statements are only one part of the Cambridge application process. We look at all the information provided to us when considering applicants. We will read your personal statement in full, but we don’t give statements a formal score.

Structuring your UCAS personal statement

For 2026 entry, your UCAS personal statement will be split into 3 sections. You can find out more about the new personal statement questions on the UCAS website.

We know that your personal statement is for more than one university. So, we do not expect your statement to be aimed at Cambridge alone.

We do not have a preference for how you split your personal statement between the 3 sections. But make sure you have enough space to talk in detail about your academic interests. You can include this in any section.

If you have any information specifically for Cambridge, you can add this to the extra personal statement in My Cambridge Application.

What to include in your UCAS personal statement

We use personal statements to identify candidates with the most academic potential.

We want to hear about how you are exploring your academic interests outside of school or college. You should give examples of activities you’ve been doing or resources you’ve been using beyond your school curriculum.

We particularly want to know what you:

• have been thinking about
• found interesting
• learned from these activities or materials

Telling us about this will help you to:

• explain your academic reasons for wanting to study the subject
• show your enthusiasm for and commitment to your chosen course
• express any particular interests within the field

Exploring your academic interests

There are lots of ways that you can explore your academic interests. For example, you could listen to podcasts, do further reading or watch videos online. These are known as super-curricular activities.

We don’t expect you to have explored your interests in any specific way. The most important thing is to spend your own time engaging academically. Crucially, we are interested in the thoughts you have to share about what you’ve learned.

The best personal statements show a pattern and logic in an applicant’s academic engagement. You should think about the connections between your own academic interests. This includes any connections between subjects that seem disconnected at first. When your write your personal statement, make sure you highlight those connections.

What not to include in your personal statement

We do not recommend that you include lots of information about extra-curricular activities. This means any non-academic activities that are not related to your chosen course.

Participating in these activities will not increase your chances of receiving a Cambridge offer. So, your personal statement should primarily be about your academic interests.

You should also keep discussion of your school curriculum to a minimum. You could reference how your studies have led you to develop your interests outside of school or college. But you should not reflect on your classroom-based learning at length.

Extra personal statement for Cambridge

You will have the opportunity to write a Cambridge specific personal statement in My Cambridge Application. This is optional. Your application will not be disadvantaged if you do not have anything to add.

Cambridge is particularly interested in how you’ve explored your academic interests. You may find that you run out of space in your UCAS personal statement to cover this sufficiently. If this happens, you can add the information to your Cambridge specific personal statement.

Find out what to include in a Cambridge specific personal statement.

What next after the Leaving Certificate

Not everyone one will be happy with the course options currently open to them. It’s important to know that this is not unusual and that lots of us take different routes on our career journeys. Not everyone is ready for study or keen to head into a degree course. Here are some options to explore …

So what are your options?

Remember that there are many ways to get to where you want to go, some of which are often overlooked. The Leaving Cert is certainly not the only way!

Here are some excellent options you could consider:

• PLC courses – A huge variety of PLC courses are available and some many may still be open for applications. Many of these courses offer a progression route to Higher Education the following year.
• Tertiary Degree Programmes – A tertiary course is joint degree programme that commences in further education with the Education and Training Board (ETB) with guaranteed continuation in Higher Education.
• Work – Gives you a chance to earn a living, try out different types of work and figure out what you enjoy, and what you don’t.
• Apprenticeships –There are almost 60 different apprenticeship programmes. These include craft apprenticeships as well as degree-level programmes, all allowing you to ‘earn and learn’. 
• Available places (CAO) – If you are really set on studying at third level this year there are still options available to you under Available Places. These are courses which are still accepting applications and are published by the CAO on a daily basis over the next few weeks. 
• Study abroad – Opportunities may still exist to study abroad, read about what, how and where to study in Northern Ireland and overseas.
• Private colleges and course providers – Entry requirements can be lower and fees can sometimes be claimed against tax.
• Entrepreneurship – Set up your own business – contact your local enterprise board.

CAO offer and Acceptance Process

Offer Round Dates and Reply Dates

Click here to watch a short video resource about the CAO Offer and Acceptance Process.

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Round A:

Offer Date:	4th July, 2025 from 10:00
Reply Date:	10th July, 2025 by 15:00

In early July a small number of offers of places may be issued to applicants such as:

• deferred applicants
• mature applicants
• applicants who have completed an Access course
• Non-EU/Non-EEA/Non-UK applicants (who have been instructed by HEIs to apply through CAO) who need to make visa arrangements before taking a place

Round Zero:

Offer Date:	7th August, 2025 from 10:00
Reply Date:	12th August, 2025 by 15:00

In early August there will be an issue of offers of places which go to certain categories of applicant who are not competing with those awaiting 2025 examination results or who are assessed on other criteria, i.e. graduate entry medicine applicants, additional mature, deferred and Access applicants and applicants presenting QQI FET/FETAC (2002-2025) for consideration for entry to courses with a quota for QQI FET/FETAC applicants may also be included at this stage. Many courses have an entry route for applicants presenting QQI/FET but do not have a specific quota. These courses will be offering places in Round One. 

Round One:

Offer Date:	27th August, 2025 from 14:00
Reply Date:	2nd September, 2025 by 15:00

Issue of main body of offers take place after Irish Leaving Certificate Examination results become available. 

Round Two:

Offer Date:	8th September, 2025 from 14:00
Reply Date:	10th September, 2025 by 15:00

Round Three:

Offer Date:	16th September, 2025 from 10:00
Reply Date:	18th September, 2025 by 15:00

Round Four:

Offer Date:	23rd September, 2025 from 10:00
Reply Date:	25th September, 2025 by 15:00

Round Five:

Offer Date:	30th September, 2025 from 10:00
Reply Date:	2nd October, 2025 by 15:00

Jigsaw – supporting your young person during exams.

PODCAST Ways to support young people during exam time

Find out how to create a supportive, self-care environment for young people as they tackle exams in the coming weeks. Our Neart Podcast, talks to clinicians, guidance counsellors and teachers. r

Listen here

UCAS deadlines

Make sure to read all offers and communications carefully and to accept in time.

Applicants who receive all decisions by 14 May must reply by 5 June, or their application will be declined by default (unless they’re in Extra). 

Nursing at University of Ulster – update

 Status of applications to study Nursing at Ulster University.  

The Department of Health fund the places on our nursing programmes and therefore they determine the number of places available. We are working closely with the Department of Health to confirm the number of available places, so please do not worry that your students have not yet received a decision on their application.  

Traditionally, we receive the confirmed number of places from the Department of Health and extend offers in late April/early May. Further, the UCAS process is designed so that applicants cannot decide on any offers until they receive decisions on each application. This means that, should they have received an offer from another university, they will not lose that offer during this time.  

Applicants to our Nursing programmes have received an email communication similar to this and we will provide another update at the end of April with regards the status of applications.  

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Admissions@ulster.ac.uk

Creative Media in Kerry

In a change to the previously published deadlines for application, MTU will this year accept applications for the following restricted programmes up to the CAO late closing date of 5.00pm on 1^st May 2025:

• MT811 BA(Hons) in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design
• MT711 BA in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design

Applicants may also include the above programmes on their CAO application via the CAO Change of Mind process up to 5.00pm 1^st July 2025.  

NB: Applicants to the above programmes will be assessed on a combination of Leaving Certificate points and points awarded for their portfolio.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their portfolio as soon as possible after making their application to: creativemediakerry@mtu.ie  The final deadline for receipt of portfolios is 1^st May for new CAO applicants and 1^st July for CAO Change of Mind applicants.

Further information on portfolio requirements is available on our website at: MT811 | BA (Hons) in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design | Munster Technological University – MTU

and MT711 | BA in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design | Munster Technological University – MTU

All applicants to the above courses have been notified of this change and CAO will include it in their alert list also. Please note this extension applies to applicants to the CAO for entry 2025 ONLY.  If you, or any of your students, have queries about this change, please do not hesitate to contact myself, at the email above, or our admissions office at infoKerry@mtu.ie