This piece from The Good Universities Guide (Daily Mail) advises prospective students on how to approach their UCAS applications for September 2027 entry, framing the process as a strategic exercise akin to chess. It argues that universities are currently keen to keep student numbers stable, giving applicants leverage, but stresses that success still depends on choosing wisely across the five permitted course choices rather than relying on demand alone.

The guide recommends splitting the five UCAS choices into three categories: aspirational (grades slightly above prediction), realistic (matching predicted grades) and insurance (below predicted grades), ensuring at least one choice in each. It notes the flat £34.50 application fee regardless of how many choices are made, the 15 October deadline for Oxbridge applicants, and warns against wasting applications on overly ambitious or unwanted courses. It also flags a growing number of universities—ten, up from six—that made offers to more than 97% of 18-year-old applicants in September 2025, including Arts University Plymouth, London Metropolitan and Soas.