Seems odd, but also seems correct.

[Lenny Hawker]

Greetings All,

I have a question related to but independent from my earlier question
titled "Oh what a tangled web ..." in another thread.

On the UCAS form, it says,
"If you have applied to any of the above institutions before, enter
your most recent UCAS application number (if known)"

I have applied to other institutions before through UCAS 25 years ago,
was admitted to one and dropped out after a year. This time, however,
all the institutions are, so far as i can recall, different from those
applied to in the past. Does this mean that strictly speaking, or even
loosely speaking, there is no requirement to declare the past
application on the current form. I hope that makes sense. The point
is, this time the institutions are all different. Am I correct in
supposing I do not need to disclose the fact that I previously applied
to university. Seems odd, but also seems correct.

best, Lenny

[Adam Atkinson]

Post by Lenny Hawker
On the UCAS form, it says,
"If you have applied to any of the above institutions before, enter
your most recent UCAS application number (if known)"
I have applied to other institutions before through UCAS 25 years ago,
was admitted to one and dropped out after a year. This time, however,
all the institutions are, so far as i can recall, different from those
applied to in the past. Does this mean that strictly speaking, or even
loosely speaking, there is no requirement to declare the past
application on the current form.

I think the answers you've already had have been pretty clear: do NOT
play games like this.

Post by Lenny Hawker
I hope that makes sense. The point
is, this time the institutions are all different. Am I correct in
supposing I do not need to disclose the fact that I previously applied
to university. Seems odd, but also seems correct.

Seems damned foolish. Tell the truth. It's so long ago it won't make
any difference to anyone. If you tell lies and get caught, you can/will
get thrown out. It's not worth it.

[Rachel]

Post by Adam Atkinson

Post by Lenny Hawker
I have applied to other institutions before through UCAS 25 years ago,
was admitted to one and dropped out after a year. This time, however,
all the institutions are, so far as i can recall, different from those
applied to in the past. Does this mean that strictly speaking, or even
loosely speaking, there is no requirement to declare the past
application on the current form.

I think the answers you've already had have been pretty clear: do NOT
play games like this.

Post by Lenny Hawker
I hope that makes sense. The point
is, this time the institutions are all different. Am I correct in
supposing I do not need to disclose the fact that I previously applied
to university. Seems odd, but also seems correct.

Seems damned foolish. Tell the truth. It's so long ago it won't make
any difference to anyone. If you tell lies and get caught, you can/will
get thrown out. It's not worth it.

Is there some fees issue here - if you go to university once then second
time around you have to pay for yourself? Even if you didn't graduate if
you drop out after a year you have to pay when you go back ti repeat
year... UCAS didn't exist 25 years ago there was UCCA and PCAS (i think)

[Lenny Hawker]

Post by Adam Atkinson
I think the answers you've already had have been pretty clear: do NOT
play games like this.

Adam,

I think you misunderstand. You are quite right. The answers I've
already been given are very clear and, as I said in an earlier reply,
re-assuring and encouraging, but they are to a different question. I
hope you don't think it is my intention to elicit more answers to the
same question by asking it again in another thread. Instead, as I
mentioned earler, I intend to ask a separate but related question
here.

To recap, the question is simply this.

"Are candidates required to mention their previous UCAS application if
none of the institutions to which they are applying are included in
the list applied to in the past?"

Put in another way, where on the form does the information go if I
want to be, as you suggest, honest. There is no room for me to put an
entire CV in the relevant experience section, so where do you suggest
I put it?

This is a genuine request for information, but if no-one knows, that's
OK. I'll be looking for it elsewhere. Meanwhile, I'd be grateful for
any help or general advice or whatever you want to give me. This group
has been very helpful. I appreciate it. The reason I opened a new
thread is because this is, I hope you can see, a separate, more
technical, though related question and some people who can answer it
might not be reading down into the other thread. It is not a moral or
ethical question. It's not about how much data UCAS keeps, it's a
technicality of the form itself. It's not about playing games. Do UCAS
even require this information? I'm off to see if I can find the
handbook or to find the answer elsewhere. Meanwhile, if anyone can
answer it I'd be very grateful.

Thanks.

Lenny

[Adam Atkinson]

Post by Lenny Hawker

Post by Adam Atkinson
I think the answers you've already had have been pretty clear: do NOT
play games like this.

Adam,
I think you misunderstand.

It seems like it. Sorry.

Post by Lenny Hawker
"Are candidates required to mention their previous UCAS application if
none of the institutions to which they are applying are included in
the list applied to in the past?"
Put in another way, where on the form does the information go if I
want to be, as you suggest, honest. There is no room for me to put an
entire CV in the relevant experience section, so where do you suggest
I put it?

I think as someone else said a mention in the personal statement would
cover it if it doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.

[Matthew Huntbach]

Post by Lenny Hawker
To recap, the question is simply this.
"Are candidates required to mention their previous UCAS application if
none of the institutions to which they are applying are included in
the list applied to in the past?"
Put in another way, where on the form does the information go if I
want to be, as you suggest, honest. There is no room for me to put an
entire CV in the relevant experience section, so where do you suggest
I put it?

I have already given the answer to this in a previous article, but in
case you didn't see it, I'll repeat.

Yes, there is a section on the UCAS form which asks you to give the
application number if you have applied to one of the institutions applied
to previously. It would generally be the case that someone in these
circumstances would have applied recently and that would enable the
institution to look up the previous applications details.

However, there is also a separate section that asks you to list your
secondary, FE and HE education. I don't have a copy of this year's UCAS
form to hand, but unless there's been a change it's the *next* section after
the one you've mentioned.

Matthew Huntbach

[Matthew Huntbach]

Post by Lenny Hawker
On the UCAS form, it says,
"If you have applied to any of the above institutions before, enter
your most recent UCAS application number (if known)"
I have applied to other institutions before through UCAS 25 years ago,
was admitted to one and dropped out after a year. This time, however,
all the institutions are, so far as i can recall, different from those
applied to in the past. Does this mean that strictly speaking, or even
loosely speaking, there is no requirement to declare the past
application on the current form.

There is a separate section where you have to list your previous education
at secondary, further and higher level. You should put your previous
university education there.

Matthew Huntbach

[Dr A. N. Walker]

Post by Lenny Hawker
On the UCAS form, it says,
"If you have applied to any of the above institutions before, [...]
The point
is, this time the institutions are all different. Am I correct in
supposing I do not need to disclose the fact that I previously applied
to university.

Yes; you do not need to "disclose" it *there*. Not so
much a disclosure, more a statement to UnivX that they [should]
have previous info about you. But as Matthew says, you should
*definitely* disclose it in your PS [and perhaps qualifications].
The AT needs to have a clear picture of what your educational
[in particular] background is.

In the vast majority of cases, the "previous application"
is from the year before -- someone who decided at a late stage to
take a gap year [and withdraw rather than defer], or who got poor
A-levels and is re-sitting, or good A-levels and is now trying
for Oxbridge, or who was ill, or whatever. In such cases, the
[new] PS and reference should say what has happened, so that's
not usually the issue. But if we've seen you before, then we can
find out what info you've received from us, whether you've already
seen around and/or been interviewed, etc. Just makes everyone's
life a little easier.