Information for parents and supporters
What you need to know as a parent, carer or guardian about university application
How to choose a university
Research options for university with your child as early as possible. Then in the summer before the year they plan to go, your child should start to narrow down their uni choices to five for their application.
Help your child to prioritise what's important for them – location, student mix, accommodation, facilities, social life, course, learning support – then work out what universities are the best match for them.
What to consider
- Your child’s career goals and what courses will help to achieve them
- Course content and structure and what fits with your child’s interests
- Flexible study options such as part-time
- Employability support for your child to build job-specific skills including placements.
Get to know Middlesex better
Join your son or daughter for a visit to our campus and find out if we’re the right match for them. Look around our facilities, meet staff and speak to current students about their experience as students.
Help with your child’s application
Use our enquiry form
Data protection means that we may not always be able to discuss the details of your child's application with you.
How to apply
To apply for a full-time undergraduate course with us, your child must use the University and Colleges Application System (UCAS). They can put up to five universities on the UCAS application form.
What you need to know about UCAS
UCAS is the organisation responsible for processing applications to UK universities for all undergraduate courses and students.
To help your son or daughter apply to university, it's important to understand how the UCAS application process works:
- Read our in-depth information about undergraduate application at Middlesex including how to write a personal statement
- Take a look at UCAS’s advice section for parents.
When to apply
- 15 October - apply for Oxford and Cambridge universities and all medicine and dentistry courses elsewhere
- 15 January - first deadline for all other applications. If your child applies by this date then they will receive a decision by the beginning of May.
At Middlesex we also consider applications made after January. So if you miss the first deadline it’s worth getting in touch to find out your child’s options.
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Respond to offers
Your child can follow the progress of their applications online, and respond to offers they get, through UCAS Track.
- A conditional offer is subject to your child achieving certain exam grades
- An unconditional offer means your child has met all entry requirements
Some courses might also ask for an interview, portfolio or audition as part of the application.
Make a firm and insurance choice
If your child applies in January then they should choose their first choice or firm option and their back-up or insurance option in beginning to mid-May. Then they will decline all other offers.
It's a good idea to make an insurance choice that has lower entry requirements or conditions than their firm choice. Your child can also defer their entry to university for a year.
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Student finance
From February onwards, your son or daughter can start to apply for student finance.
Tuition fee loans cover your child’s tuition fees. They are available to most UK and EU students entering full time higher education so check to see if your child is eligible.
Living cost loans and living cost grants help with the extra costs of university such as accommodation, travel, food, buying books and materials.
Scholarships, awards and bursaries are financial support for students that do not need to be paid back.
At Middlesex, we try to make studying with us affordable for as many people as possible. Ask our Student Welfare team about what help might be available for your child.
Accommodation
You and your child must also decide if they want to live at home, stay in university halls of residence or rented accommodation.
At Middlesex we have student halls close to our campus in Hendon and in north west London. We guarantee accommodation in halls for all full-time first year undergraduate students.
Your child can also search for private accommodation using Middlesexstudentpad to find local rooms, flats and houses for rent.
University experience
As a university student, your child will network with people from around the world and learn how to work effectively together. At Middlesex, our current students are blogging about their favourite university experiences from socialising to collaborating in the classroom.
After results day
When results day arrives, if your son or daughter has got the grades to secure their university place – that's great! We'll get in touch to confirm everything with them. If they haven’t received their expected grades, don’t panic, as we may still be able to accept them. Log onto UCAS track to check.
Apply through Clearing
Clearing is an alternative way for your child to find a place at university if they don't have one after they get their exam results. They can apply through Clearing if:
- They haven’t received or accepted any offers
- They didn’t achieve the grades for their firm and insurance offers
- They haven’t submitted a UCAS application
- They want to transfer from another university or college.
Your child should start by looking at the range of courses available through Clearing then call us on 0208 411 6565.
How you can help your child prepare
For data protection purposes, we must speak directly to students when they are making an application. That means you can’t talk to us on your child's behalf. There are other useful things you can do to help. Before they can make sure they have the following:
- UCAS ID number (if they are already in the UCAS system for this cycle)
- Exam results or qualifications
- Course they are interested in
- An email address for confirmation if they are offered a place
See our guide to what you need to know about Clearing.
Enrol and start university
Enrolment is the next stage of your child’s journey to Middlesex.
As soon as your child’s place at Middlesex is confirmed, we will send them information about enrolment, including what they need to do before they come to campus. They must read and keep this information and return any forms to us as soon as possible.
When will my child start at Middlesex?
- Most students' first week is Welcome Week (24-28 September 2018)
- International students start with an Orientation Week (17-22 September 2018).
Welcome Week and Orientation Week help your child to settle in, meet new people and get to know their course and our support services to prepare them for their first term.
Information for parents of new students
Our guide to what happens in the first weeks of university plus advice from parents of current students.
Middlesex University regulations
Before they start with us, your child must read the University's regulations and policies so they know their rights and responsibilities as a Middlesex student.
Now they're on their way to Middlesex!
