UCAS is the central application service for UK universities. The Common App is a US-built platform that a small number of UK universities also accept, mainly from international applicants. If you are applying to several UK universities, UCAS is almost always the route. If you are applying to US colleges, the Common App is. If you want both countries, you will probably use both, with some rules to respect.
This guide explains what each system is, how choices, essays, fees and deadlines differ, which UK universities take the Common App, and how to check the route for your own course. We advise families on UK, Irish and wider study abroad every year, so we also say where each route fits into a bigger plan.
TL;DR
- UCAS covers full-time undergraduate applications to UK universities and colleges, with up to five choices on one form. The Common App serves more than 1,200 colleges, mostly in the US.
- A handful of UK universities, including St Andrews and Glasgow, also accept the Common App. Participation changes between cycles, so check the official directory each year.
- The 2027 entry UCAS fee is £34.50 for up to five choices. Common App fees are set by each college, and many charge international students nothing.
- The UCAS personal statement is about one subject. The Common App essay is more personal and wider in scope. Do not recycle one for the other.
- You can use both systems, but every UK application counts towards the five-choice limit, and you must never apply to the same university twice.
Table of Contents
- What each system actually is
- UCAS vs Common App at a glance
- How the application process differs
- Personal statement vs Common App essay
- Which UK universities accept the Common App?
- Fees and deadlines
- Can you use both UCAS and the Common App?
- A simple way to decide
- Our perspective: choose the system that fits the plan, not the other way round
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Help with the application and what comes next
- FAQ
- Sources
What each system actually is
UCAS
UCAS is the UK's central admissions service. It is a non-profit charity that processes applications for full-time undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges. You register, build one application, and send it to your chosen providers. The universities then reply through the same system, so offers, replies and decisions all sit in one place.
The design reflects the UK approach: you choose a subject first and apply to study that subject. Your application is read by the department that teaches it.
The Common App
The Common App is a platform where students discover colleges, submit applications and manage admissions, with more than 1,200 member colleges. You write one core application, then add each college's own questions or supplements. It was built for the US model, where students often apply to a broad range of institutions and choose a major later.
The key point: they are not rivals in the way two similar products are. They are the front doors to two different admissions cultures. Most of the time the country you want decides the platform before you do.
UCAS vs Common App at a glance
| UCAS | Common App | |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Undergraduate applications to UK universities | Applications to US colleges, plus a few UK and other international institutions |
| Number of choices | Up to five courses | Set by you; each college has its own requirements |
| Written element | One personal statement about your subject | Core personal essay plus college supplements |
| Fee (2027 entry) | £34.50 for up to five choices | Varies by college; some never charge |
| Decisions | Centralised: offers and replies handled in UCAS | Each college decides and communicates its own result |
| Course commitment | Apply to a specific course | Often a broader major or undeclared |
How the application process differs
Choices and limits
A UCAS application lets you select up to five courses, which may be at different universities or at the same one. Five is a hard ceiling, and it matters later when you consider combining systems.
With the Common App, you can apply to multiple colleges through one application, but each college sets its own requirements and may ask for supplements or essays. In practice the work grows with each college you add, whereas in UCAS the extra work for a fifth choice is small.
Subject focus versus breadth
On UCAS you pick a course, and the personal statement, predicted grades and references all point at it. If you choose five very different subjects, your statement struggles to serve them all, which is why most applicants stay within one subject area.
On the Common App you present yourself as a whole person: activities, character, interests, sometimes a major. That is why the US process rewards extracurricular depth in a way a UK admissions tutor reading a chemistry application does not.
Tracking and data
The two systems operate independently. As one admissions adviser notes, platforms like UCAS and the Common App generally do not share data, so you track each application and status separately. Keep a simple spreadsheet with one row per university: route, deadline, documents sent, decision.
Personal statement vs Common App essay
This is where students most often go wrong, by trying to use one piece of writing for both.
UCAS describes the personal statement as your chance to explain why you want to study your chosen subject and why you would be a good student, and it advises starting early. Think of it as an academic argument: what drew you to the subject, what you have read, done or built, and how that prepares you for the course.
The Common App essay is more personal and more narrative. It is about you, your values and a story that shows how you think. A beautiful essay about a family move will not help a UK admissions tutor decide whether you can cope with a law degree.
Even within the Common App, UK universities may want something different. St Andrews, for example, advises that Common App applicants should make sure their writing supplement reflects the course they have chosen, since the application is handled through a separate portal.
If you are writing for UCAS, our guide to writing your UCAS answers shows how to structure them, with examples of what a strong answer covers.
Which UK universities accept the Common App?
Only a minority do. According to the Common App's own 2026-27 grid, UK institutions that take applications through it include St Andrews, Glasgow, Arts University Bournemouth, London Metropolitan University, Richmond The American International University in London and Robert Gordon University. Other Scottish institutions have also been listed as participating in recent cycles, but participation can change from one admissions cycle to the next.
So do not rely on a list from a blog, including this one. The Common App's own 'Explore' directory and its annual Requirements Grid are the definitive source for who is currently a member. Then confirm on the university's own admissions page, because eligibility rules sit there. St Andrews, for instance, accepts Common App applications only from applicants liable to pay tuition at the Overseas rate.
A practical point: even where the Common App is accepted, it is an extra option, not a requirement. UCAS remains available to the same applicant.
Fees and deadlines
Fees
For 2027 entry, UCAS charges £34.50 for up to five choices. That is one payment however many universities you choose, which makes five choices cost-effective.
Common App fees depend on the college. The Common App states that some colleges never charge a fee, and more than 500 institutions charge no application fee for international students. Check each college's line in the grid. Remember the true cost is not only the fee: US applications can also involve score reports, transcripts and translations.
Deadlines
For 2027 entry, UCAS's equal consideration dates are 15 October 2026 for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, and 13 January 2027 for most undergraduate courses. The pattern repeats every year: an early autumn date for the most competitive courses and a mid-January date for most others. Check the UCAS dates page for the cycle you are applying in, since the exact days move.
Common App deadlines are set by each college and often include early and regular rounds. They are not one date for everyone, so build your calendar from each institution's page rather than from a general rule.
Can you use both UCAS and the Common App?
Yes, in the right circumstances. There are two separate cases.
Applying to the US and the UK. This is the common case. You use the Common App for US colleges and UCAS for UK universities. The two do not interfere, but you will be writing two different pieces of writing and managing two timelines, usually in the same autumn.
Applying to a UK university through the Common App. Here the rules are university-specific. At St Andrews, the Common App and UCAS can be used at the same time, but every UK application counts towards the five-application limit, and you should not apply to St Andrews through both routes. Always read the policy of each institution before you submit, because they differ.
If you intend to apply to more than one UK university, the standard advice is that UCAS is the route to use. The Common App route mainly makes sense when you are applying to one participating UK university alongside a list of US colleges, and want to reuse the core of your application.
A simple way to decide
- Write down your target countries. US only: Common App. UK only: UCAS. Both: both.
- List your UK universities. If it is more than one, plan on UCAS.
- Check the Common App directory. If one of your UK choices is a member, ask yourself whether the Common App saves you anything. Often it does not.
- Read each university's policy. Confirm fee status, supplements and whether dual applications are allowed.
- Build the calendar. Put the October UCAS date, the January date and each US deadline on one page.
- Draft two pieces of writing. One subject-focused statement, one personal essay.
If Ireland is also on your list, the system changes again: Irish undergraduate applications run through a different central office. Our guide to applying to an Irish university as an international student explains the steps, and our comparison of A Levels and the Leaving Cert shows how UCAS and the Irish system differ for families choosing between the two.
Our perspective: choose the system that fits the plan, not the other way round
Families often come to us having read that one platform is better. We see it differently. UCAS and the Common App are tools, and the right one is the one that matches the country, the course and the timeline your child actually has.
What we see most often is not a wrong choice of platform but a late start. A student who begins the personal statement in September for a mid-January deadline is fine. A student who begins in December, while also managing a US supplement and a visa plan, is not. Our advice is to pick the route early, write the subject statement first, and treat everything else as additions.
We also see parents underestimate what comes after the offer. Accommodation, funds evidence and student visas have their own timelines, and for under-18s there are guardianship and welfare questions too. That is why we handle those parts for families rather than leaving them for the summer. If you are looking at a UK sixth form or school year first, our guide to the UK high school system is a good place to begin, and the UK student visa requirements page explains the funds test.
— Eugeni
Common mistakes to avoid
- Recycling one essay. A Common App story rarely works as a UCAS statement, and the reverse is also true.
- Applying to the same university twice. Where dual routes exist, use one of them for each institution.
- Trusting an old list of Common App UK members. Participation changes. Check the current directory.
- Forgetting fee status. Some routes are open only to overseas fee payers, so confirm yours before you start.
- Treating five choices as a target. You can apply to fewer. Five strong, realistic choices beat five that stretch your statement.
- Starting visa and funds planning after the offer. For UK study, begin earlier than you think.
Help with the application and what comes next
If your child is aiming for a UK or Irish university and you want a guide who knows the routes, our university placement service helps match students to courses, prepare applications and plan what follows, from €1,300. For younger students who want a UK or Irish school year before university, we run academic year programmes in the UK with host family or residence accommodation and 24/7 local support.
FAQ
Is UCAS or the Common App better?
Neither is better in general. UCAS is the route for UK universities and the Common App is the route for most US colleges. The better choice is the one that matches the country you are applying to.
Which UK universities use the Common App?
The Common App's 2026-27 grid lists institutions such as St Andrews, Glasgow, Arts University Bournemouth, London Metropolitan University, Richmond and Robert Gordon University. Membership can change each cycle, so check the Common App directory and the university's own page before applying.
Can I apply through both UCAS and the Common App?
Yes, for different universities, and in some cases for UK ones too. At St Andrews both can be used at the same time, but all UK applications count towards the five-choice limit and you should not apply to that university through both. Check each university's policy.
How much does a UCAS application cost?
For 2027 entry the fee is £34.50 for up to five choices. Check the UCAS site for the fee in the year you apply, as it can change.
Is the personal statement the same as the Common App essay?
No. The UCAS personal statement explains why you want to study a particular subject and why you would be a good student. The Common App essay is a broader personal piece, so each needs its own draft.
Sources
- UCAS: Applying to study an undergraduate qualification
- Common App: Apply to college with Common App
- Common App: 2026-27 Requirements Grid
- UCAS: 2027 entry application fee
- UCAS: Dates and deadlines for uni applications
- University of St Andrews: Common application
- Times Higher Education: Applying to US universities
- BrightKey: Applying to UK and Europe simultaneously