University Application Support
One adviser to help you choose the right UK universities and win a place.
University application support is one-to-one help to choose the right universities and make an application that wins you a place. At Uni Direct, Dr Elizabeth Adey gives that support to every student herself, from the first conversation to the offer.
Most of the students we help are international applicants to UK undergraduate degrees, applying through UCAS or directly to the university. We also help with master’s applications, foundation years and transfers between universities.
Reviewed by Dr Elizabeth Adey for 2027 entry · Uni Direct team, 2026
Who gives the university admissions support?
Dr Elizabeth Adey runs Uni Direct and works with every student herself. Nothing is passed to a junior adviser or a call centre, so the person who plans your application is the person who answers your questions.
What does university application support include?
Expert help with every part of your application, from the first shortlist to the offer. Some students want the whole application with us; others want application assistance with one part, such as the personal statement or an interview.
Choosing the course and university
The decision everything else rests on. We build a shortlist around your grades, your subject and the kind of place where you will be happy.
Choosing a university →Your personal statement
We help you find the right material, shape it around the course and check each draft until it sounds like you at your best.
Personal statement guide →
The application itself
Through UCAS, directly to the university, or both, with your grades, references and every detail correct before it goes.
UCAS application help →Interview preparation
Oxford, Cambridge, medicine and many competitive courses interview applicants. Practice turns a daunting day into a conversation.
Interview questions →Admissions tests and written work
Many competitive courses set an admissions test or ask for marked written work. We plan the timetable and help you prepare.
Oxford and Cambridge →Foundation years and pathways
If your grades or English score are below a requirement, a foundation year or pre-sessional course can lead straight onto the degree.
Undergraduate pathways →How does university application help work?
In five steps, and you can join at any of them: a student who already has a shortlist may only need the last three. That is how help with university applications works with us, from your first conversation to your interviews.
Step oneA first conversation
Tell us your grades, your country and the course you have in mind, on WhatsApp or by email, and Liz replies herself.
02Step twoA shortlist and a plan
We agree which universities and which route suit you, with every deadline and what each university asks for.
03Step threeYour personal statement
We work through your drafts until the statement shows the department exactly why you want the subject.
04Step fourThe application
The form, your grades and your references, all checked and submitted before the deadline.
05Step fiveInterviews and tests
Where a course interviews or sets a test, we prepare you for it so you walk in knowing what to expect.
Making the right choice: a university where you will thrive
Your choice of course and university is one of the biggest decisions you will make, and with so much choice it feels daunting for everyone. A search engine can list entry requirements and rankings in seconds. What it cannot tell you is where you, in particular, will settle, enjoy the course and do well.
That judgement comes from watching students arrive at different universities year after year. We look at your grades against each university’s typical offer, at what the course actually teaches rather than its title, and at whether a campus or a city, a large university or a small one, would suit you. Read more about choosing a university.
A comprehensive university application service
Once the shortlist is settled, the work is in the detail. Most applications that disappoint do so because of something small: a statement that does not fit the course, grades that are not explained, a reference that arrives late. We check every part with you:
- Course research matched to your ability and the career you want
- Your personal statement, including the experience you have and what you still need
- Your grades explained in UK terms, so all your hard work is recognised
- References from teachers who know your work, in good time
- The form itself, correct and complete before the deadline
Should you apply through UCAS or directly?
Both lead to the same degree, and the entry requirements are the same. We help with either route, and many of our students use both.
Through UCAS
Directly to the university
Source: UCAS dates and deadlines for 2027 entry, and each university’s own admissions page, read 29 September 2026.
When should you start a university application?
About a year before the course begins. For 2027 entry the year runs like this, and the earliest deadlines fall in October, long before most students expect them.
Research and reading
Courses and universities researched, English tests booked, and reading beyond the syllabus under way.
Shortlist and statement
The shortlist settled and the personal statement drafted, so the autumn is spent improving it.
Early deadline
UCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine and dentistry, with admissions tests around the same time.
Main deadline
UCAS deadline for most other undergraduate courses.
Interviews and offers
Interviews, offers and decisions arrive through UCAS, or straight from the university if you applied directly.
Late applications
The last date for a late UCAS application where places remain, before Clearing opens on 2 July 2027.
Source: UCAS dates and deadlines for 2027 entry, read 29 September 2026. See our guide to UCAS deadlines.
Help writing a personal statement
With more students applying from around the world, grades alone rarely secure a place on a popular course. The personal statement is where a department sees why you want the subject and what you have done about it.
Most students find it hard to put what they have achieved into words, especially at eighteen. We help you draw out your experience and your interest in the subject, shape it around the course, and work through each draft with you until the statement is clearly your own. That can be part of the whole application, or a few hours on the statement alone. Read our guide to writing a personal statement.
Application support for competitive courses
Some applications ask for much more than grades and a personal statement, and they close months earlier than the rest. Interview preparation and admissions tests are where most of our extra work goes.
Top university application support
Oxford and Cambridge close on 15 October, almost a year before the course starts. Most courses add an admissions test, many ask for written work, and shortlisted applicants are interviewed by the tutors who would teach them. We help you prepare for each stage, and the earlier you start, the better.
Oxford or Cambridge → Early deadlineMedicine and dentistry application support
Every course has far more applicants than places. You will usually sit an entrance exam, most often the UCAT, attend an interview, and need work experience you can talk about with conviction. We plan all three with you well before the October deadline.
Studying medicine → PortfolioArt and design application support
Your portfolio matters as much as your grades. Many students take an art and design foundation year first, which helps if your body of work is still small or you are unsure which specialism to choose. We help you choose the course and present your work.
Fashion and design universities →Source: UCAS dates and deadlines for 2027 entry, read 29 September 2026. See also our university interview questions.
University admissions support for international students
Most of the families who contact us live outside the UK. Applying from abroad means an unfamiliar system, early deadlines and, often, nobody at school who has done it before. On top of the usual work, we explain how your qualifications compare with A levels, whether you need an English test and which score, and which universities will take you directly rather than through UCAS.
- Undergraduates first, and master’s and PhD applicants too
- Students transferring from a degree they have started
- Parents who want one person to talk to throughout
Undergraduate application pathways
If your qualifications are of a different kind, your English is not yet at the level asked for, or your grades miss a requirement, there is usually still a route onto the degree.
University foundation year
A one-year programme, usually on the university campus, that gives you the knowledge and study skills to move straight onto your chosen degree. Read about the foundation year.
Pre-sessional English course
A course of a few weeks to a few months that brings your English up to the level your degree asks for, and leads directly onto it. See pre-sessional English.
Get a head start on your application
Standing out is no longer only about the required grades. An application stands out when every part of it points the same way, and these are the things that make that possible.
Books, articles and projects that go further than your school course, and that you can talk about.
Relevant work, volunteering or an internship; for medicine it is essential.
A summer course at a UK university, which also shows you what study there is like.
A teacher who knows your work well and can say so with conviction.
Case studies: students we have helped
Every application is different, which is why each one starts with a conversation. More in our case studies.
BEng Renewable Energy Engineering, transferring into the second year
Read the case study → Swansea UniversityPablo ScarpatiBSc Computer Science
Read the case study → UCLFilip JohanssonBSc Natural Sciences
Read the case study → Sports scienceDaniel AkdemirBSc Sports Science with Professional Football Coaching
Read the case study → Art and designLinnea LindenmeyerBA Costume Design
Read the case study → CareersSophie MitchellMarketing degree and career advice
Read the case study →What students say about Uni Direct
In their own Google reviews, the thing students mention again and again is how quickly Liz replies.
Most of the families who come to me already have a list of universities. What they want to know is where their son or daughter will thrive and be happy, and no league table can tell you that. After years of watching students arrive, settle and do well, I usually know quite early which universities will suit someone. The other thing I see every year is bright students who cannot put into words what they have achieved. That is completely normal at eighteen, and it is exactly where a conversation helps.
University application resources
Your school adviser and the UCAS website are good free places to start. These are our own guides to each stage.
Specialist advice and support
Frequently asked questions about university application support
What is university application support?
One-to-one help with applying to university: choosing the course and universities, the personal statement, the application form, references, interviews and admissions tests. At Uni Direct it is given by Dr Elizabeth Adey herself.
What does your university admissions support include?
Your shortlist of courses and universities, your personal statement, the UCAS or direct application, your grades and references, interview preparation and admissions tests. You can have help with the whole application or with one part of it.
Where can I get help with my university application in the UK?
Your school or college adviser is the first place to ask, and UCAS publishes free guidance for applicants. For one-to-one help, particularly if you are applying from outside the UK, you can message Uni Direct on WhatsApp or by email and talk to Dr Elizabeth Adey.
Can parents get in touch on behalf of their son or daughter?
Yes. Many of the people who contact us are parents, and we are happy to talk to the family together. Once the application starts, Liz works closely with the student as well as the family.
Do you help with admissions tests and interviews?
Yes. Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and many competitive courses set an admissions test, ask for an interview, or both. We help you plan the timetable and prepare for each one.
What should I do if I do not get into university?
It is not the end. You can look for a place in Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027, apply directly to a university later in the year, or take a foundation year that leads onto the degree. We can help you choose the right route.
Can you help if my grades are below the entry requirements?
Yes. A foundation year or a pre-sessional English course can lead straight onto the degree when your grades or your English score are below what the university asks for. We help you choose the right pathway and apply to it.
Do you help with master’s applications?
Yes. A master’s application goes directly to each university, usually with a CV and a personal statement, and we help with both.
Sources: UCAS dates and deadlines for 2027 entry, read 29 September 2026.
Talk to us about your application
Tell us your grades, your country and the course you have in mind, and Liz will reply herself.