Study Abroad After 12th Grade in the UK - 2025
With 2024 close to wrapping up, it’s time to start thinking about your applications to study abroad after 12th grade. One of the keys to admission success is to secure enough time to build a compelling and strong application. As a result, especially with the recent changes to the UCAS application platform for our UK aspirants, now is the right time to start working on your higher education goals. This guide covers everything you need to know to start your applications to study in the UK in 2025!
Why Study in the UK in 2025?
According to QS World University Rankings for 2025, 90 UK universities rank among the world’s best higher education institutions. Among these, four UK universities occupy the top ten, with Imperial College London at #2, the University of Oxford at #3, the University of Cambridge at #5, and UCL at #9. Overall, an impressive 27 universities rank among the top 200 of QS’ round-up of best universities in 2025.
Running parallel with the UK’s long history of pioneering academic excellence is the country’s long history as a destination for international students. This is especially the case for Indian students, for whom the UK has historically been at the top of the most popular higher education destinations.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, Indian students received the largest number of UK student visas. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) highlights that over 100,000 Indian students were studying at UK universities in 2023. Considering the UK’s long history of bilateral relationships with India, including educational partnerships and collaboration, this trend will not slow down any time soon.
So, what does this mean if you want to study abroad after 12th grade in the UK? Here is what you need to know about applying for an undergraduate program in the UK.
The Step-by-Step Process to Apply for an Undergraduate Degree in the UK
One of the most important resources you need to learn about when applying for a bachelor’s degree in the UK is UCAS. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is the central platform through which prospective undergraduate students can apply to all eligible UK universities. All UK universities that offer bachelor’s degree programs to international students accept applications through UCAS.
UCAS: Key Highlights
• Through UCAS, you can apply to up to five (5) UK university programs, in up to three (3) subject areas
• You will build one common application with which you can apply to multiple programs
• For the 2025 intake, the application fee is £28.50 for up to 5 universities
How to Apply to Study Abroad After 12th Grade Through UCAS
The UCAS application platform has its own structure, set of requirements (in coordination with universities), and deadlines. Understanding these minimizes the room for error during your applications and helps you build an effective timeline to work within. Below, we run through the requirements to complete an application for an undergraduate program in the UK.
UCAS Deadlines
For the 2025 academic intake, you will need to keep the following deadlines in mind:
| April 30th 2024 | Students can begin browsing through the list of university courses they can apply for |
| May 14th 2024 | Applications open for prospective undergraduate students |
| September 3rd 2024 | Students can begin submitting their complete applications |
| February 26th 2025 | Students who applied to five programs already, but did not receive any offers, can add another program to their application |
| June 30th 2025 | All applications that UCAS receives after this date will be sent to Clearing |
| July 5th 2025 | Clearing opens and all available seats are viewable through the UCAS course finder |
What is Clearing?
If universities have any empty seats still available after the initial round of applications, they go into Clearing. Between July and October, students who did not receive an offer from the programs they applied for can choose among programs in Clearing to secure a seat at a UK university.
The UCAS Application Process
Research the Right Program
Before you sign up for the UCAS account, you must shortlist the right program(s). Your choice impacts more than just the title stamped on your degree scroll after graduation. The right qualification opens the doorway to the ideal career opportunities after you complete your bachelor’s degree.
You can research all available programs at UK universities through UCAS, as well as through the course matcher tool GRADSearch. Out of the thousands of options out there, you can narrow down your program on the basis of:
• Program Outcomes: Does the course material align with your goals for this degree?
• Career Outcomes: How does this program equip you for your professional and career goals? What are the professional opportunities and job outlook for this qualification? What is graduate employability like for students of this program?
• Tuition Fee: Does the program fit the budget you are working with?
• Scholarship Availability: Does the university or faculty offer options for a study abroad scholarship for Indian students after 12th grade?
• Eligibility Criteria: Do you meet the academic and English language requirements of the program? Do you need to sit for any entrance exams to qualify for the program?
• University Location: How does the cost of living impact your budget overall for universities in one location versus another?
Start Your UCAS Application
Once you are confident that you are applying for the ideal programs matching your needs and objectives, set up your UCAS account. This gives you access to your UCAS Hub, through which you will be able to save, track, and complete your application.
In 2024, the UCAS application structure went through a series of updates, which are in effect for the 2025 intake. We are running through all these updates below, so if you are planning to study abroad after 12th grade in the UK, we suggest you bookmark this article!
Fill Out Your Personal Details
Start your application via the UCAS Hub Dashboard by clicking on the “Your Application” option. Remember to fill out your name (first, middle, last) in the same way it appears in official documents like your passport. To complete the personal details section, make sure you are filling out all mandatory questions, including details such as:
• Your contact details, including an up-to-date email address
• Residency status
• Personal circumstances, such as your parents’ education history
• Your buzzword, if you are applying through your school or college
• Funding plans – how you are going to be paying for your studies
Fill Out Your Education History
Provide all the necessary details about your secondary schooling (and any post-secondary schooling) in this section. If you are yet to receive the results of your secondary school-leaving exams, you can alert UCAS of the applicable qualification so they can forward these results to the universities you choose once they are available. If your qualifications are not part of the UCAS list, you will have to send these results separately and directly to the universities you are applying to.
Additionally, if you are applying while still studying or waiting for your grades, let your referees know that they will need to highlight your predicted grades in their recommendation letters.
If you are applying for programs asking for specific subject scores, it’s also a good idea to mention your results for relevant modules. This helps the admissions officers at respective universities better gauge your suitability for their program.
Fill Out Your Employment History
If you have been working part- or full-time, you can provide the details of up to five employers in this section. Note, though, that voluntary work or unpaid jobs don’t count in this section.
Shortlist Your Programs
At this stage, you will be selecting the list of university courses you shortlisted for your applications. UCAS will send your applications individually to each of the universities you select. Double-check your options so you are sure you selected the right modules. Be sure that you meet the program’s academic requirements, English language requirements, and any additional criteria. For example, applicants for a law program at certain UK universities will need to sit for the LNAT.
Complete Your Personal Statement
The personal statement is one of the most important components of your application. Here, you have the chance to make a case for yourself to your target universities beyond the constraints of application questions. Note that the same personal statement goes out to all the universities you are applying to, so you cannot mention the university or program by name unless you are applying to just one. Instead, discuss the field you are applying to and highlight the common ground consistent across your program and university choices.
The personal statement can be no more than 4,000 characters long, so you have to be concise, yet effective in getting your point across. Start drafting your essay separately, planning out your points and the structure first before you begin writing. Focus your write-up on:
• Why you chose the field, program, and university. Remember to keep this general if you are applying to more than one university
• Why you are a great fit for the field, program, and university
• What accomplishments and skills make you a great fit for the field, program, and university.
• How you are going to contribute to the field, program, and university
Review Your Application and Pay Your Application Fee
Once you fill out your full application, review all your information before you hit submit. We are still not done yet though. You will need to complete the application fee payment and your referee will need to submit their reference letter for you.
Your application fee, if you are planning to study abroad after 12th grade in the UK in 2025, is going to be £28.50. You can apply for up to five programs, as well as avail of other services like UCAS Extra and Clearing.
Choose and Select Your Referee
Your referee will submit their recommendation for you independently of your application and will not be able to see its details. So, when approaching your referee to coordinate the recommendation letter, make sure you run through all the key details with them. The structure of UCAS recommendations changed in 2024, so be sure to alert your referee of this change as well.
Ideally, your referee should be someone who knows you well in an academic capacity, to make your application stronger. Approach teachers, lecturers, and mentors who understand your ability, potential, and drive to study abroad for the program of your choice.
Your application will only go through once your referee completes their online recommendation. Keep in touch with them to let them know when you submit your application so they can expect the email walking them through the referral process.
Rounding Up
At a glance, it may seem as though the process to study abroad after 12th grade is quite complex in the UK. However, thanks to the comprehensive breakdown of the UCAS application system, you have a clear, step-by-step idea of the requirements. Start preparing your research and details early, to take advantage of the time and craft complete, solid, and quality applications. If you are seeking expert support to create a complete error-free application, contact the Student Success Consultants at Gradstar Global Education today.