After you apply
Once you have submitted your application, the Admissions team will begin to process your application. You will receive email confirmation that the University has received your application, regardless of which application method you used. You will also receive a follow-on notification of your fee status, or a request from the Fees team for more information so that we can clarify your fee status.
After these communications, you should not expect to hear from the University until a decision is made on your application, unless we need to contact you to request additional information.
If your application is successful, you will receive an offer and additional information in an email.
Please also read the additional information below.
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We aim to let you know our decision on your application as quickly as possible. If you applied through UCAS you can track the progress of your application through the UCAS Hub.
All candidates can track their application through the My application portal.
To avoid missing out on key information, consider linking a personal email address to your application, not one for a school or college. School emails can expire during the summer and you may no longer be able to access your messages. Sometimes institutional filters might prevent information reaching you.
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The responsibility for making decisions on applications rests with Admissions in coordination with individual academic Schools. We take into consideration not only the current and expected grades of your qualifications but also the context in which you achieved or will achieve them.
We also rely heavily on your personal statement and referee's report as the University does not interview for most undergraduate programmes. Applicants for Medicine, our Supported Pathways programmes, BA International Honours and some part-time courses may be invited to an interview.
The decision-making process for students applying to transfer to the University is slightly different and is outlined in the transfer students section below.
You can read more about the decision-making process in our admissions policy.
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There are three responses that you may receive in response to your application. These are:
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An unconditional offer
This means that you have already achieved the required grades or qualifications to study your selected course and your offer has been confirmed. If you have yet to complete the required level of classes for entry, or your final school-leaving exams, you should not expect an unconditional offer.
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A conditional offer
This means that you are a suitable applicant but have not yet achieved the required grades or qualifications to study your selected course. If you achieve the stated grades or qualifications, we will then confirm your place. If you do not achieve the stated grades or qualifications, your offer may be withdrawn.
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We are unable to offer you a place
Regrettably, we receive many more applications from well-qualified applicants than we have places to offer, and we have been unable to offer you a place on your selected course.
Should any details that influenced our initial offer decision change, for example the fee status, we will reassess the offer and reserve the right to withdraw it.
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The University of St Andrews evaluates every application based on its individual merits, and we are obligated to give equal consideration to all applications submitted by the appropriate UCAS deadlines. Every year, however, the University receives many more applications from well-qualified applicants than there are places to offer.
Once we have made a decision, you will be notified by UCAS and any offer conditions will be visible through the UCAS Hub. All applicants who applied by the relevant UCAS deadline will receive a decision no later than the UCAS deadline in May.
Details of application deadlines for St Andrews can be found on our applying through UCAS page.
If you have been offered a place at the University of St Andrews, you should use the UCAS hub to notify us about whether you wish to accept the offer or not. You can hold up to two offers in UCAS, one firm choice and a second insurance choice. The offer you accept as your firm choice is effectively your first choice of university, whilst your insurance offer is your second choice in case you do not meet the required grades to fulfil the entrance requirements of your firm choice. Your insurance choice will often be an offer asking for lower grades than your firm choice.
If you wish to accept an offer from the University, you are required to indicate whether it is your firm or your insurance choice through the UCAS Hub. You must respond to your UCAS offer in good time to ensure that your place is not declined by default.
If you decide to decline our offer, you should also respond to us through the UCAS Hub.
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Once we have made a decision on your application, you will receive a response through the St Andrews applicant portal. If you receive an offer, full details, including conditions, will be displayed there. You should respond to your offer in the portal, indicating whether you will be accepting and taking up your place, or declining your offer.
Key dates
You must reply to your offer:
- by Monday 13 April 2026 if the offer is made by Friday 6 March 2026
- within 28 calendar days if the offer is made between Saturday 7 March and Sunday 31 May 2026
- within 14 calendar days if the offer is made after Monday 1 June 2026
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If you have applied to the University as a transfer student, your application will be considered in several stages.
To consider your application, we will:
- investigate whether your grades and qualifications meet our entry criteria
- analyse the subjects you have taken or are currently taking to ensure the content matches subjects offered at the University in first year or second year
- read your personal statement and references
- ensure that you have the necessary qualifications to study your second subject
Once we have made a decision, the way we contact you depends on how you submitted your application. UCAS applicants will be informed through the UCAS Hub, and users of the Direct Application will hear by email and through the St Andrews applicant portal. If we are able to offer you a place, we will specify the point of entry, whether first year, second year or third year, in our offer to you.
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If you have applied for a course which accepts students directly into second year, you should expect a response in the usual manner for your chosen application process, for example, if you applied through UCAS, your offer would be sent through the UCAS Hub.
Usually, any offer for a course which accepts direct entry into second year will state the year of entry, but opportunities for entering second year of appropriate courses can also be discussed with your academic adviser when you arrive.
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If you wish to change the start date of your course, you can submit a formal request to defer your admission to myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Deferral requests are considered on a case-by-case basis following the guidance outlined in the University's Admissions Policy. There is no guarantee that a request will be granted.
Deferred entry requests will only be considered for those seeking admission to the year immediately following the admissions cycle initially applied for.
If your request is unsuccessful you may be required to withdraw your application and reapply in the year prior to your intended year of entry.
If your request is successful:
- you must meet your offer conditions within the cycle in which you applied
- any offer of accommodation may be rescinded and you may have to reapply in the year prior to entry
- any University scholarship awarded to you may be rescinded and you may have to reapply in the year prior to entry
- if you have been classed as Overseas for fee purposes, you will be required to make a pre-payment to secure your offer of a place
Failure to submit the pre-payment
Please be aware that failure to submit the pre-payment will be taken as an indication that you no longer wish to take up the offer of a place to study at the University and your offer of a place will be rescinded.
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If you wish to be considered for a change of course, please submit a request to myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis following the guidance outlined in the Admissions Policy. Due to the high level of competition for places, there is no guarantee that a request will be granted. If your request is granted, you will be issued with a new offer letter which will include any new offer conditions associated with your new course, where relevant.
If you are unsuccessful in your request, please refer to our flexible degree structure to understand about the different routes available to students at St Andrews. To have a chance of securing an offer on your selected course, you may be required to withdraw your application and reapply in a subsequent cycle.
If you have been classed as Overseas for fee purposes, changes to the course will not be considered if you have already received a Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS).
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At any point within the application cycle, you may submit information on extenuating circumstances to the University as part of your application by emailing myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Each case of extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis, following the guidance outlined in the Admissions Policy.
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If you have successfully applied to join the University of St Andrews on a year or semester abroad, visit the Collaborations and Study Abroad section.