Parents and carers
Starting the university journey is an exciting time for both you and the young person in your care.
Getting to university takes a lot of planning and preparation. Although it’s time for prospective students to become more independent, they still could use a helping hand along the way.
We’ve gathered information to help you support your young person as they explore the process of getting to university.
What's the best way to help my young person choose a course and university?
Help them figure out what and where to study by sitting down together and talking about it. The following questions can spark ideas and inspire discussion:
- what do they enjoy studying at school or college?
- what career might they be interested in?
- do they want to study close to home, or move away?
Their answers will become a great resource when they research different courses and universities. This is one of the biggest decisions your young person will make, and your support will help encourage them to find a place that feels like the perfect fit.
Ready for even more inspiration?
We have lots more questions and topics geared to helping your young person think about their options in our blog, Helping your young person choose a course and university.
What are the steps for applying to university?
Step 1
Visit Open Days and UCAS Fairs.
This will give both you and the young person a better understanding of their options and where they might want to study.
Step 2
Choose courses and universities.
Once your young person has researched course options and universities, they should have an idea of what they want to study and where.
Step 4
Write a personal statement
Your young person will need to write a personal statement, explaining why they want to study their chosen course and what makes them a strong applicant.
Step 5
Send application
Once all elements of the application are complete, it is time to submit it.
Step 6
Attend interviews and receive decisions
Universities may ask students to attend an interview. After this, they will receive decisions from their chosen universities.
Universities will get in touch with them via email or UCAS Hub.
Step 7
Attend an Experience Day
Applicants may also be invited to attend an Experience Day.
This is similar to an open day, but usually more course-specific.
Step 8
Accept offers
Once all decisions are received, it's time for your young person to choose their firm and insurance choices.
This is their first choice and their backup option.
Step 9
Apply for Student Finance
Once applicants choose their firm choice, they can start applying for Student Finance to fund their studies.
Find out more about fees and finance.
Step 10
Apply for accommodation
Now is the time for your young person to apply for accommodation. They can choose to live in halls or private accommodation.
Step 11
Results
Once applicants have received their results, their offer will be either confirmed or withdrawn.
If they do not meet the offer terms of both their firm and insurance choice, they can look into securing a place on a course through Clearing.
Step 12
Enrolment and Induction
Once your young person has secured their place at university, the next step is to enrol and attend their induction week. This usually takes place in September.
Visit open days and UCAS fairs
Once your young person has a short list of courses and universities, they should think about attending university open days. It's the perfect way for your young person to make sure that the university is exactly what they are looking for and feels right for them.
Visiting one of our Open Days will give your young person a chance to speak to academics and current students. They will also get a clearer picture of what it's like to be a student at Bradford.
UCAS also hold events around the country. These are great opportunities to talk to representatives from a number of universities in the same day, making it easier to compare courses and universities.
Stay informed
Sign up to our webinars
Can my young person live on campus?
All students offered a place here can apply for a room in our award-winning, on-campus accommodation, The Green.
It’s just a few steps away from everything they’ll need, including lecture theatres, the library, support services and the Students' Union.
A team of resident wardens look after the students living at The Green and provide support, advice and information to help them settle into university life.
Each living area has unique fob access for security along with a security team that are on-hand from 18:00 – 8:00 Monday to Friday and throughout the weekend. They conduct regular patrols of the site.
Our University security team is on campus 24/7, patrolling all areas of campus on foot and by vehicle.
Are there other living arrangements?
We also have private accommodation options for students, consisting of privately rented houses and apartments, many of which are located within walking distance of campus. The Unipol House Hub is a source of help and advice for students looking for privately rented housing.
What support is available for my young person?
Transitioning to university life can be challenging, but we’re here to help, no matter what the problem may be.
Our dedicated MyBradford team have a wealth of experience and will be on hand to help your young person access the support services they need to be a success.
As a student here, they will have access to:
Important dates and deadlines
- 14 Jan 2026
- Entry deadline for most undergraduate courses
- 26 Feb 2026
- UCAS Extra opens
- 30 Jun 2026
- Late entry deadline. Don't worry if you miss the deadline - applications made after 30 June will be reviewed in Clearing.
- 1 Jul 2026
- UCAS Extra closes
- 2 Jul 2026
- Clearing opens
- 13 Aug 2026
- A level results published
- 20 Aug 2026
- GCSE results published
- 24 Sept 2026
- Final deadline for 2026 entry application
Explore our blogs and podcasts
We've collected our podcast episodes and blogs to help give you tips and insights into how you can help your young person navigate their journey to university and life as a student.
To read more of our blogs, visit our blogs page, Bradford Life.
To listen to more podcasts, visit our collection of Spotify playlists and podcasts.
MyBradford podcast
Paula, an outreach and recruitment officer at Bradford, is joined by parents Ros and Mark, who both have young people beginning their journey to university.