2. Choosing courses Encourage your child to think carefully about the course they'd like to do at university or college. There are thousands of courses available at hundreds of universities and colleges, and each one suits some people better than others. They need to choose their courses for the right reasons. They must do plenty of research before deciding where to go

3.  What are the entry requirements?  Points based universities and grade  Do they want to stay at home or move away?  Which universities are best for that particular course?  Tuition fees and bursaries  Career opportunities on completion

4. Applying  Your child must apply for courses using the online application system, Apply.  Each section of the application is explained and there's help text to answer their questions.  Your child must then send their completed application to us (the centre), we then complete the predicted grades and reference section and submit it to UCAS  UCAS then send it to the universities and colleges they choose. The date they need to send their application to us depends on their choices, so they need to check the application deadlines as soon as they can.

5.  Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary and Oxbridge – October 15 th  All other courses excluding Art and Design – January 15 th  Art and Design courses – March 24th  Heworth internal deadline – November 21st

6.  Law – ILNAT  Oxford/Cambridge – tests are likely but will depend on the course applied for  UKCAT/BMAT – Veterinary Science, Dentistry and Medicine (depends on the university)  Primary Education – professional skills test

7.  Read through the application form to check for mistakes  Assist with the personal statement  Ensure they complete the form sooner rather than later.  If they do not hit our internal deadline we will not guarantee the reference will be completed for the UCAS deadline.

8. Offers  Universities and colleges will decide whether to offer your child a place. Applicants can check if they're accepted on the online tracking system, Track, which shows their choices and any decisions made by the universities and colleges.  If they're accepted, your child will need to reply to their offers. If they change their mind or aren't accepted, there are other options to help them find a course. There are deadlines set for replies to be completed by

9.  If no offers are held students are eligible to use UCAS Extra.  They may apply for an extra University course and can do so until a place is gained  This service is available from 25 th February

10. Results  Most students will be waiting for exam results and will need to prepare themselves for what happens next. UCAS receive the exam results and send them to the universities and colleges.  If the requirements for the course have been met the student will automatically start that course. If the results do not match the offer, they may or may not be accepted.  Students should check Track to see if they have been accepted on their chosen course first thing on results day. We advise they do this before obtaining results.  If they have been unsuccessful they can enter clearing.

11. Next steps  If your child is accepted, they will receive a letter from UCAS that explains what happens next.  If they receive better grades than expected or change their mind, there are other options available. They should check Track and look for course vacancies on the UCAS website to find an alternative place.

12.  If a students exceeds the grades they were predicted they can effectively ‘shop’ for alternative courses through an option known as Adjustment.  They will have a 5 day window to try to be accepted onto another course

13.  Your child will need to make sure they have everything ready, such as accommodation, finances, travel arrangements, books and equipment required for the course.  They should contact the students' union at their university or college to see what has been prepared for new students and to find out what support is available while they're studying