The Basics
UCAS = stands for the University and Colleges Admissions Service and is the central service that acts as a middle-man between applicants and universities.
UCAS application = this is the only way for both domestic students (those already resident in the UK) and international students to apply for undergraduate courses at UK universities. Applicants may apply for up to 5 courses at up to 5 institutions.
Personal ID = A 10 digit number assigned to each student at the beginning of the process, which is linked to their application.
Personal statement = A 4,000 character/47 line essay in which the applicant introduces themself and expresses their interest and passion for the courses they are applying for. It is also the only place on the application for extracurricular achievements to be mentioned.
Offers
Conditional offer = This is the most common type of offer given by institutions. The applicant must meet certain conditions to get their place, usually based on exam results. (Sometimes, an institution will give an unconditional offer meaning the student is automatically accepted with no conditions. This usually only happens if a student is applying after they have already received exam results.)
Firm choice = The offer the applicant accepts as their first choice.
Insurance choice = The offer the applicant accepts as a back-up, or insurance, choice in case they do not meet the conditions of their firm choice.
Defer = Applicants can indicate in their application that they are applying for deferred entry, meaning that they wish to start the course the following year (e.g. a student in Year 13 in 2023 would typically enter university in September 2024, unless they apply for deferred entry meaning they wouldn’t start university until September 2025.) This is a popular choice for students who wish to take a ‘gap year’. However, deferrals are not accepted by all institutions for all courses, so do your research!