How to apply for an undergraduate degree

Take a look at the typical entry requirements and get a flavour for what Royal Holloway is like.

Come to an open day and go on a campus tour.

Alternatively, take a look at our Student Life pages.

Use the UCAS online system, which can be done independently or through your school or college.

You will need to enter your personal and academic information as well as write your personal statement.

You can choose up to five institutions or courses to apply to. Royal Holloway’s institution code is R72. Individual course codes are listed on the Course finder.

For BA Modern Languages Single or BA Translation Studies courses, you need to tell us which languages you want to study. Please indicate this under the ‘further details’ section in the ‘choices’ section of the UCAS application form using the following codes:

If you are studying one language select one of the following:

FR French

GM German

SN Spanish

IT Italian

If you wish to study two languages as joint honours please combine the relevant codes, eg. French and German would be FRGM.

If you wish to study two languages, one major and one minor, please indicate the major language code first and link the relevant codes with w, eg. French as major and Spanish as minor would be FRwSN.

If you wish to study three languages please select Multilingual Studies:

MLS Multilingual Studies

If you have any queries, contact us through our application query form.

A-levels, BTEC and International Baccalaureate qualifications will be verified by UCAS. You won’t need to send additional documents when you apply.

However, for other qualifications you may need to send a transcript or certificate of your results to the Admissions Office.

For information or advice, please contact our Admissions team.  Contact us through our application query form stating your UCAS number and full name.

Tel: +44 (0)1784 414944

Applications for all students for 2025 entry should reach UCAS between 1 September and 29 January.

Due to the number of applications for our popular courses, we also advise international students to apply by this date although applications will still be considered until 30 June if places are still available.

Most students at Royal Holloway will be aged 18 or over, but some meet the entry requirements aged 16 or 17.

Prospective students who will be under the age of 18 at the start of their course should read the Admissions policy for more information.

Mature students can find further information on applying on the mature students pages.

Interviews and examples of work

No UG programmes now require a portfolio for admission.

Any specific requirements are detailed in the individual Course finder entries.

Personal statements: what to include

As a general guide, your personal statement should include:

• What interests you about your subject? If you've studied the subject before, was there a particular area that grabbed your interest?  If you've not studied the subject before, what is it that has made you want to try something new?  

• Remember: if you're applying to study a combined degree, you should make a connection between the different subjects.  

• What have you found out about your subject?  Don't just tell us what you've read or done - tell us what you found interesting about it and how it developed your knowledge and interest in your chosen subject.   

• What skills and personal qualities do you have?  Don't just tell us what they are - tell us how you've developed these skills and how they fit to your chosen course or career. You may be a good communicator through working in a customer service role, or work well with others through playing sport. How will they develop in your chosen course?

• Do you have a particular career path in mind?  If so, how could this degree help you get there?

Remember, don’t just tell us general information about your chosen subject. Tell us what motivates you to study your course, and the value you’d bring. After all, this is a personal statement, so make it personal.