Competition for places on undergraduate programmes at Imperial College London is very high, with an average of seven applications received for every available place. Selection of undergraduates runs from early October, when the first applications are received, to the end of March when the final decisions are returned to UCAS. All applications submitted by the deadline are given careful consideration.
The most important factor in decision-making is your academic ability and potential, but Departments will try to discern your motivation to study, interest in your chosen subject area and your potential to benefit from, and contribute to, College Life. For more information on what Imperial is looking for in an applicant, please watch this video from our most recent Open Days and read in the table below what methods we use for shortlisting and selecting who we make an offer to.
personal statement
Your personal statement provides very valuable background information, which assists the College in our selection process. Many selectors wish to choose applicants who, as well as being intellectually able to cope with the course of study, will contribute to the creation of an intake with a wide cross-section of interests in each year. Please note that your personal statement should accurately reflect your interests and these may be discussed with you at interview.
Your personal statement will be analysed by UCAS to ensure that it is your own work. Further information on UCAS's Similarity Detection Service (SDS) can be found on their website. It is the College's policy that applications with an SDS score of 80 percent or greater will be rejected.
Reference
All departments attach considerable importance to the report of the academic referee. This can play a major part in deciding whether you will be called for interview, giving an insight into the strength of your motivation to study, and in determining the level at which a conditional offer is made.
Predicted grades of likely performance in examinations that have not yet been taken are also of particular value within a reference. It is your responsibility to ensure that this information is provided on the UCAS form.
admissions test
Some courses at Imperial require applicants to sit an admissions test as part of the selection process. Please note it is your responsibility to register for and sit these tests.
BIOMEDICAL ADMISSIONS TEST (BMAT)
The following courses use the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) as part of the selection process:
Undergraduate Medicine (MBBS/BSc)
BSc Biomedical Science
Graduate-entry Medicine (MBBS)
You must register for this test no later than the 15th October in the Autumn that you apply to the College. More information specifically for applicants taking this test can be found on the BMAT website.
MATHEMATICS ADMISSION TEST (MAT)
The following courses use the Mathematics Admission Test (MAT) as part of the selection process:
All BSc and MSci Mathematics courses
You must register for this test no later than the 15th October in the Autumn that you apply to the College. More information specifically for applicants taking this test can be found on the MAT website.
interviews
Many of our courses will require you to be interviewed as part of the application process. You can find more information about a Department's interview process, including its policy on interviewing applicants based overseas, on the individual department websites.
