Further considerations for art and design applications

Art and design courses are classified as Route A or Route B (Route B course codes include the letter E). Applications for courses in Route A follow the same procedures as for other courses. Route B courses follow a different timetable and a different application process.

Route B has a later closing date to allow students taking a Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design) time to identify their specialisation and put together a portfolio of work, which they will need to present at interview.two female students reading prospectus

Click here for a further description of each route.

Route A - decisions and replies

If a student has applied only for Route A courses, they can hold two offers. They must decline any other offers. They can wait for a decision from each of their universities and colleges before they have to reply.

Route B - sending applications to universities and colleges

We send Route B choices to the chosen universities and colleges in the order stated by the student. The reason for this sequential process (instead of the simultaneous process for all other choices) is to allow time for interviews to be arranged. It depends on the outcome of the first choice interview whether we send the application to the second choice and so on. The starting dates for sending applications to each Route B choice are listed in the table below.

First choice

From 12 February 2008

Second choice

From 28 March 2008

Third choice

From 23 May 2008


Whenever we receive a decision from a university or college, we will let the student know by letter or email (if they supplied a valid email address on their application).

Making changes

Route A choices: students can change the university or college choice on Track within 14 days from us sending them a welcome letter, as long as they contact us before 30 June 2008. If they want to change the course, defer their application for a year or change the point of entry, they should write to the college or university direct, not to us. A Route A choice can only be changed to another Route A choice.

Route B choices: a Route B choice can only be changed to another Route B choice. This is only possible if the original choice has not been sent to the university or college to consider. A Route B choice cannot be amended to a Route A choice at any time.

Route B - decisions and replies

We will send students a decision for their first choice in Route B. If it is an offer, they can either accept it or decline it. If they accept the offer, we will not send their application to any other Route B choices on their application. If they decline it, or the college or university does not make them an offer, we will send their application to their next Route B choice provided that there are still vacancies.

They have 14 days to reply to a Route B offer (21 days if they are applying from outside the European Union). If they do not reply during this period, the offer will be withdrawn. If they have applied for further Route B courses, we will then send their application to their next choice provided that there are still vacancies.

If students have applied for Route B courses only, they can only hold one offer.

If they have applied to choices through Route A and Route B and are still awaiting one or more Route A decisions, they will be able to reply initially to a Route B offer with a Keep (K). This means that they do not have to accept or decline the Route B offer until they have received decisions from their Route A choices. Keeping a Route B offer will cancel any subsequent Route B choices. Once all decisions have been received they will have to make their final replies by the deadline stated on Track.

Visit the replying to offers page to find out more.