How Should a 12th Grader Get Through Application Season? The US, Canadian and UK Timeline from Submitting to Results, Accepting an Offer and Sending Final Grades, Six Things to Do in Grade 12, and Notes for Domestic and International Applicants
In grade 12 you submit applications in the autumn and winter, receive results and accept an offer in the spring, and send final grades in the summer. Using official sources, this guide sets out the full 2027-entry timeline for the University of California, UBC and UCAS: filing periods, decisions, deadlines to accept, final transcripts and results, and lists six things to do in grade 12 and common mistakes.
Grade 12 is application season itself: you submit applications in the autumn and winter, receive results and decide where to go in the spring, and send final grades and meet any conditions in the summer. Every step has a deadline, and missing one can undo a lot of work. Using official sources, this guide sets out the full timeline for the University of California (UC), UBC in Canada and UCAS in the UK for 2027 entry, then lists six things to do in grade 12. This is the last guide in our grade 9 to 12 series; see the earlier guides for grade 9 and grade 10, and our application timeline by grade.
1. The full timeline for 2027 entry
| Stage | US (UC) | Canada (UBC) | UK (UCAS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applying | Filing period November 1–30; UC reminds applicants to submit by November 30 | Opens early October 2026; deadline January 15, 2027, 11:59 PM Pacific time; scholarship-related deadlines December 1, 2026 (Canadian applicants) and December 2, 2026 (international applicants) | Applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026; Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses by 15 October 2026; most undergraduate courses by 13 January 2027 (all at 18:00 UK time) |
| Decisions | Admission decisions released March 1–31; some campuses may release earlier | Decisions for high school applicants are made on a continuous basis from November 2026 to June 2027 | Universities send decisions over time; your reply deadline depends on when your last decision arrives (see below) |
| Accepting | Submit the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by May 1 | Most students accept the offer and pay the acceptance deposit by May 1, 2027 or June 1, 2027; check your offer letter for your date | Accept one firm and one insurance choice; decline the rest |
| Final grades | Final official transcripts by July 1; official AP and IB results by July 15 | All requirements must be completed by June 30 before September entry | Clearing opens 2 July 2027; the results-day page lists only 2026 dates, and the 2027 date is not yet stated |
(UC dates and deadlines, UBC dates and deadlines, UBC requirements, UCAS dates and deadlines, UCAS: replying to offers)
2. Six things to do in grade 12
- Plan your autumn backwards from the earliest deadlines: Oxford, Cambridge and UK medicine close on 15 October, UC on November 30, and UBC's scholarship-related deadlines on December 1 or 2, all in the first half of grade 12. In the first week of school, list every university's deadline and required materials, and work back to dates for finishing your personal statements and asking referees.
- Use each system's choice rules well: one UC application lets you apply to more than one campus, but you can submit only one application per term (UC: filling out the application); UBC lets you select a first and second choice of degree (UBC application); UCAS allows up to five choices, and the 2027-entry application fee is £34.50 for up to five choices (UCAS: filling in your application).
- Do not let grade 12 grades slip: where a subject was taken in both grades 11 and 12, UBC focuses on Grade 12 (UBC: What we look for), and all requirements must be completed by June 30 before September entry; UC must receive final official transcripts by July 1. Your grades after you apply still decide whether you can enroll.
- Do not miss financial aid and scholarship deadlines: UC's dates page lists March 2 as the deadline for the FAFSA, the California Dream Act Application and GPA verification; UBC's scholarship-related deadlines are December 1, 2026 for Canadian applicants and December 2, 2026 for international applicants, more than a month before the application deadline.
- Accept your offer on time: UC requires the SIR by May 1; most UBC students accept and pay the deposit by May 1 or June 1, as stated in their offer letter; with UCAS you can accept only one firm and one insurance choice and must decline the rest. UCAS reply deadlines for 2027 entry: if your last decision arrives by 31 March 2027, reply by 5 May; by 12 May, reply by 2 June; by 14 July, reply by 21 July; no reply swaps after 22 July (UCAS: replying to offers).
- Send final documents and watch for options after results: UC needs official AP and IB results by July 15; UCAS Clearing opens on 2 July 2027, when vacancies are shown in UCAS' search tool for eligible applicants, and the last date to add a Clearing choice is 18 October 2027 (UCAS dates and deadlines). The UCAS results-day page currently lists only 2026 dates (A level results day on 13 August 2026); watch for the 2027 date (UCAS results day).
3. Notes for domestic and international applicants (including students in China)
- Domestic applicants: in California, note the March 2 deadline for aid and GPA verification; in Canada, note that UBC's scholarship deadlines come before the application deadline; in the UK, confirm predicted grades with your teachers and decide early whether to apply to Oxford, Cambridge or medicine.
- International applicants: UBC's scholarship-related deadline for international applicants is December 2, 2026 (for 2027 entry); UC treats you as a nonresident, with a minimum GPA of 3.4 (UC GPA requirement). After accepting an offer, you will also need a study permit or visa under the rules of the destination country; follow official government pages and your university's guidance.
- Students in China: grade 12 corresponds to the third year of senior high school. If you attend an international school, follow the timeline above. If you attend a regular Chinese high school and are also preparing for the gaokao, check early whether and how each university uses gaokao results and when they must be submitted, using each university's international applicant pages. The pages read for this guide contain no specific guidance for applicants from China.
4. Common mistakes
- "Once I submit, I can relax": UBC focuses on Grade 12 and requires everything to be completed by June 30; UC needs final transcripts by July 1.
- "I will accept everything and decide later": UCAS allows only one firm and one insurance choice, and the UC SIR and UBC acceptance and deposit all have firm deadlines; follow your offer letters and the official dates.
- "Scholarships close with the application": UBC's scholarship-related deadlines are December 1 or 2, earlier than the January 15 application deadline, and UC's aid and GPA verification deadline is March 2.
Frequently asked questions
When does the University of California release fall 2027 decisions, and when must I accept?
UC releases fall 2027 admission decisions March 1–31, and some campuses may release earlier; all admitted first-year students must submit the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by May 1. Final official transcripts are due by July 1, and official AP and IB results by July 15.
When must I accept a UBC offer for September 2027?
UBC states that most students must accept the offer and pay the acceptance deposit by May 1, 2027 or June 1, 2027, as stated in their offer letter; decisions for high school applicants are made on a continuous basis from November 2026 to June 2027, and all requirements must be completed by June 30 before September entry.
When must I reply to UCAS offers for 2027 entry?
It depends on when your last decision arrives: by 31 March 2027, reply by 5 May; by 12 May, reply by 2 June; by 14 July, reply by 21 July; no reply swaps after 22 July. You can accept only one firm and one insurance choice.
How many choices does a UCAS application allow, and what does it cost?
Up to five choices; the application fee for 2027 entry is £34.50 for up to five choices.
References
UC dates and deadlines; UC: filling out the application; UC GPA requirement; UBC dates and deadlines; UBC: What we look for; UBC requirements; UBC application; UCAS dates and deadlines; UCAS: filling in your application; UCAS: replying to offers; UCAS results day. Pages read in November 2026; rules and dates follow the latest official versions.