Applications at universities in South Africa open around March to September
annually. Apply as soon as possible to secure your space.
Things to consider before/when to applying to a university
1. Do Research
Part of your research should be having a prospectus of different universities of your choice. Prospectus will help in discovering the courses the university offers. You can access prospectus online in the university website or you can visit the university campus to get one. Don’t be confused a prospectus is a booklet that display all the content about the university including courses, fees and residence. It’s pretty clear that a prospectus should be your best friend as you embark on the journey of applications.
2. Discover the course you want to do
There are so many courses to choose from. The rule when choosing a course is to choose a course that you love. The first thing that you should do way before applying is to do a self-introspection and ask yourself questions such as what am I passionate at? Which career best suit my personality? Now it’s a perfect time to reflect on your childhood, reflect on your high school days. What type of a child were you? Were you the quiet, the nerd or the sport lover? Reflect on your favourite subject in school, what was that one subject you completely understood? It is important to choose the
career that suits you. Don’t listen to noise and follow the crowd. Finding the course you want will narrow the search for universities because you may find that some universities may not offer your chosen course.
3. Requirements
Now you know the career path you are going to follow the next step is to check
requirements. This is the most important step, should you skip this step you will find yourself with a regret letter and be forced to take a gap year. I cannot stress the importance of checking the requirements because they are a light to your career. Where can I check requirements? This is the most asked question and the answer is simple CHECK UNIVERSITY PROSPECTUS. Remember, I mentioned that entering
this journey you will need a best friend and that best-friend is a prospectus because this is a friend that will guide and show you light. Visit each and every prospectus of your desired university to see the requirements of your course. You can also check the requirements of your course in AcaNet app which has made checking requirements of different universities/ courses easy.
4. Results to use to apply
When you are in grade 12 and applying to universities you will need to use your grade 11 final results. Some universities such as TUT accept grade 12 June results. Find out which results your desired university accept for applications. Most universities require you to write a national benchmark test (NBT). Check with the institution if you
need to write one.
5. Application Dates
You have realised that you indeed qualify for your chosen course now the next step is to look out for opening and closing dates of applications. Ensure that you send in your application in time to stand a better chance of being accepted because the reality is that universities become full very fast so don’t sit and wait for the closing date to start applying. procrastinating applying will only end in tears. You may think you have the whole world to apply but the sad truth is that time is not on your side. The sooner the applications open is the sooner they close. Today technology has
made things easy, you can begin your application as soon as the applications open and continue your application later on before the actual closing date.
6. Supporting documents
All applications require supporting documents. Never make a mistake of not attaching documents.
Documents required
Certified copy of your ID
Certified copy of your parent/guardian ID
Certified copy of your grade 11 results or (grade12 June) results
Certified copy of your grade 12 certificate if you have completed matric
Certified copy of parent/guardian payslip (Not older than 3 months)
Copy of proof of residence
7. Pay application fee
Find out if your desired university require an application fee or not. If you find out that the university require application fee you need to find out how much is needed. Most application fees range from R100 – R350. Always send the proof of application fee to the university if needed or keep safe the proof of payment.
8. Application Status
After applying you need to check your application status to see if you have made it to the University of your Choice. You can check your application status by visiting the university website. The university will send you a formal letter, email or SMS to inform you about your application status.
9. Apply for financial aid
Research available bursaries in South Africa that relate to the field you want to venture into. You can also apply for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provided that you meet the requirements set.
AcaNet Team ❤️