Thinking of deferring your UCAS application?Here’s what you need to know

What does “deferring” mean?

• Whether you are in Year 12 or a current Year 13, you

may be considering whether heading straight to

university after your final year at Sixth Form or College

is the right path for you

• Deferring your application means you would put your

university place on hold and take a gap year before

continuing your studies.

• This is different to simply taking a gap year and then

applying, as your university place is already lined up

for the following year

• This presentation will help you consider the options

you have available and provide you with the

information you need to make the right choice for

you

A year out of studying, generally in between sixth form/ college and university

Do your research!

What are

your other

options?

Do you want

to reapply

next year?

Haven’t

applied yet

but want to

defer?

If you take a

gap year,

have you got

a plan?

Can you

defer a

current offer?

Some

universities do

not accept

deferred

entry

1 2 3

4 5 6

Do your research!

What are

your other

options?

Do you want

to reapply

next year?

Haven’t

applied yet

but want to

defer?

If you take a

gap year,

have you got

a plan?

Can you

defer a

current offer?

Some

universities do

not accept

deferred

entry

Some universities do not accept deferred entry

• Some universities and colleges do not allow deferred entry for some subjects, such as medicine

➢Check with each university what their stance on deferred entry is

• The university may not be offering the course you want to study the following year.

• You will still need to meet the conditions of any offers in the year that you apply

➢For example, if you have received an offer for BBB, you must still achieve this by 31 August 2020 (unless the institution tells you otherwise)

• Some people choose to travel in their gap year, others choose to work to save up money, and some decide to volunteer to gain more skills for future jobs and university courses.

• Successful gap years require research and organisation, it’s worth remembering that universities will want to know what your plans are in a gap year, or what you have achieved if you’re applying after it!

• Click the button below for to see the pros and cons of taking a gap year

Plans for a gap year

See

More

Gap Years continued

• An opportunity to have a break from studyingand return refreshed. You can volunteer, getvaluable work experience, and travel the world.

• A productive gap year can be valuable onyour CV.

• You could relate the experience and activitiesto the subject area you plan to study.

• You can earn and save money towards yourhigher education costs or future plans.

• You will develop maturity if you don’t yet feelready for higher education or work life. Forsome careers, it can be an advantage to beslightly older and have some life experience.

• Some people find a year out becomes adistraction from their longer term plans.

• An unstructured year out may not add muchvalue to your future – careful thought and planning is essential.

• It can be harder to return to study or workafter a year–long break.

• It can be expensive and you could find yourselfin a worse financial position at the end.

• If you don’t get organised, you may endup spending your gap year just ‘thinking about it’.

Pros of taking a gap year Cons of taking a gap year

Can you defer a current application?

It’s important to remember that if you

have already applied, you must check

with your chosen university directly

about deferring entry as some will not

allow it after the place has already

been offered

Top Tips

• Get in touch with the admissions team at

the university you have accepted an

offer for and ask if it is possible to defer

entry

• If it is possible, you should be prepared

with reasons why you want to defer and

what you are planning to do in your gap

year

• This will influence the university’s decision

on whether to offer you a deferred place

• This won’t give you an extra year to

achieve the grades the course asks for –

you will have to get your offered grades

in this cycle to achieve your deferred

place

How to defer your application

In your personal statement, you will need to include reasons for deferring and any plans for your year out

You will need to select the deferred entry start date when adding a choice on your UCAS application

Your application will follow all the same steps as someone applying for the current year of entry

So you may have interviews and you will still have to achieve the grades offered to you in the

current academic year.

Remember, this method of deferral is only if you haven’t already applied to UCAS in the current cycle

Reapplying Next Year

• If you can’t defer your current application you have

the option to withdraw your application and reapply

through UCAS next year

• This does mean that you would not be guaranteed a

place on the same course next year if you did

reapply

• You may also not have the same access to advice

from teachers and tutors at your college

• If you do want a year out to explore further which

course you want to study, this is still an option you

could consider

What are your other options?

This is up to your individual college or sixth form.

In the current uncertain situation you may want the opportunity to redo your final year before

progressing to university, but first check this is

possible and stay positive about what your

awarded grades could

be!

If you don’t get the grades you wanted, there

is always the option of clearing.

UCAS has also introduced

clearing plus, where you can take at look at

courses that match your awarded grades and

have the opportunity to drop your existing offers if you see a course that you

would prefer to study.

Clearing

and

Clearing Plus

Click here for more

Resit your final year

of college or sixth

form

Click here for more

If you really aren’t sure about starting university

this year, or next year, you do have the option to

enter full time employment. University has no upper age limit

and you may even find a whole new subject area

you had never considered by entering

the world of work!

Get a full time job

Click here for more

What are your other options?

This is up to your individual college or sixth form.

In the current uncertain situation you may want the opportunity to redo your final year before

progressing to university, but first check this is

possible and stay positive about what your

awarded grades could

be!

If you don’t get the grades you wanted, there

is always the option of clearing.

UCAS has also introduced

clearing plus, where you can take at look at

courses that match your awarded grades and

have the opportunity to drop your existing offers if you see a course that you

would prefer to study.

If you really aren’t sure about starting university

this year, or next year, you do have the option to

enter full time employment. University has no upper age limit

and you may even find a whole new subject area

you had never considered by entering

the world of work!

And remember…

If you are a current Year 13, it’s natural to be worried about starting university this

September, especially in the current climate, but your tutors and organisations like

Higher Horizons can provide you with advice about university.

Using the information you have learnt, consider carefully whether postponing

starting university is the best decision for you.

Spend a few minutes writing down or thinking about the questions below:

• Do you have a plan of what to do in your gap year?

• Will you find it harder to return to studying after a year out?

• Can you get advice from your teachers if you’re unsure about how your

grades will be decided this year?

Advice for Year 13s and College Leavers

• You may be thinking hard about what starting university might look like in September

2020.

• At the moment, it's not clear if you will be able to go to campus to attend lectures,

seminars and labs like you normally would, or if most teaching will take place online,

for at least some of the year. This might not be the university experience you wanted,

so you might be wondering if it would be better to defer your place for a year and

start in September 2021.

• If you're thinking about deferring your place because of this, it's important to follow the

same advice and consider the same questions:

• How will you spend next year instead? And will you find it harder to go back to

studying if you have a year out?

• Some common things that people do during a gap year might not be open to you

next year: travel may be restricted, or you may not be able to get a part-time job. Do

you have a plan to make the most of your time off instead?"

Summary

• You have many options available to you if you are thinking of postponing starting university, the most important thing is that it’s the right decision for you!

• Remember to check directly with universities if you are considering deferring a current offer, as it may not be possible.

• To get more advice about what university is really like you can ask any of the Higher Horizons team, all university graduates themselves, questions at higherhorizons.co.uk/ask

Please help us by filling out our short

feedback survey using the link below:

sgiz.eu/s3/RemoteOutreach-Cat1-IAG

It will take you no more than two minutes to

complete. We’ll use your feedback to help

us design new resources for you and other

young people.