Your application checklist

Know what to gather before you start. Less last-minute searching, more time to plan.

1. Decide what you want to explore

Start with a few interests, then research institutions and qualifications that could fit. Read the current prospectus for your intended year of study. Keep the exact programme name, official link and entry requirements with your notes.

2. Gather your records

Requirements differ. Check the official application instructions before arranging or paying for documents. You may be asked for:

• An identity document or passport.
• Your latest school results or final matric statement.
• Additional records if you have already studied at a tertiary institution.
• Parent or guardian information, where relevant.
• Programme-specific material, such as a portfolio or assessment result.

Check whether copies must be certified, how recent certification needs to be, and which file types and sizes the institution accepts. Keep the originals safe.

3. Write down the practical details

Make a separate note of each programme’s closing date, application fee, payment instructions and additional assessments. Funding and residence applications may have their own processes and deadlines.

4. Apply through the official channel

Follow the institution’s instructions or its authorised application service. Check that the application is actually submitted, then save the acknowledgement and reference number. A saved draft or an internal MyUniBuddy progress status is not a university submission receipt.

5. Keep checking for updates

Use the institution’s official status portal and monitor the email address and phone number you supplied. Respond to requests for missing information through the official channel.

Use the interactive preparation checklist to make a small start.