It's that time of the year again – admissions to university are opening for September 2018! Are you just starting on your voyage into higher education? Perhaps you deferred entry and are only starting this year? Or are you considering if university is even the right place for you? Here are some good reasons to prepare your application RIGHT NOW.

Early close dates

Should you have your mind set on studying Medicine or entering the top ranks of UK universities, you must be aware that they close application deadlines pretty early. By pretty early, we're talking 15^th October 2017! Yes, that's when you might be just starting to think about your future and looking at options; if you're aiming for UCL or Ox-bridge, you best think fast and be ready to slide your application in a good month before the deadline. That means putting together all the documents you will need and checking your references are available to support your statements way before September 2017. You want that extra month to make amendments to ensure your application is as spectacular as everyone else's.

Note: Just because the deadline for UCL, Oxbridge, or medicine is 15^th October, doesn't mean you have to submit all 5 choices of universities at once. You can put in the most urgent choices first and add or amend the other choices up to the advisory closing date. You will still have equal consideration.

Rolling basis

Just because you are looking to study something other than Medicine or are happy with a slightly lower ranked university doesn't give you room to procrastinate either. While UCAS claims that universities apply the 'gathering fields' approach to look at all applications only after the closing deadline (irrespective of early submissions), not all universities strictly practice this. Especially if they are a postgraduate level or a smaller, specialised department, it's more likely they assess applications on a rolling basis, issuing offers as applications come in. They then close admissions when they have enough takers. For you, this means you will have to get in early to make sure you get your choice course and impress with punctuality. A good gage would be any time before the middle of November.

Move on

The more holistic motivation is simply to get it out of the way. As a teenager, you've not only got to plan for your future but also live life in the present. That includes focus on your studies, your extracurricular activities, and your social existence. Crossing applications off your to-do list frees up that space in your mind to ponder on the present activities. Now, go and actually get those grades you need to enter university and enjoy the remaining 3-4 months of high school or the rest of your gap year. With the extra time you now have, you can also properly think about what you want to achieve after university and where your qualifications can take you. Put simply, dream on - avoid nightmares after Christmas.

Start on scholarship applications

Lastly, a most practical reason to get a move on is to get started on scholarship applications next. You can only apply for a scholarship after you have received an offer to study. While some university scholarships are automatically awarded, you want to be in the running early on before they've given them all away. The same applies to scholarships awarded by external organisations like government bodies, charities, or big firms. They have a limited pool of resources and everyone applying has excellent merits or some financial situation – who to award then? The most impressive candidate, that's who, with character that speaks of punctuality, discipline, drive, and vision. Putting your application in early says you know what you're doing, where you're going, and how motivated you are to get there. Even if you fail to get the scholarship at the end of the day, preparing early gives you time to source other funding options and time to gather the funds you need. Even a fundraiser needs time to plan, execute and gain support.

So, what do you need to make an application?

Here's a full list of the documents you must have. It may seem like many loose ends, since results may not be released yet or you have not taken your English tests as required. Fret not since you can submit these documents after you have put in your application.

What do you put on your application then? Most often, your predicted grades are accepted upon which they offer a Conditional Offer. Later, your final certificates and/or IELTS results will be used to convert your Conditional Offer into an actual place in the university.

Another reason why you may delay your application is that your references aren't ready. Preparing early also means you have time to source a referee and find others if the one you have is not available. Then you can be sure your reference is submitted on time as well. Just make sure your reference complies with these guidelines and you're set!