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We know that many undergraduate students might be considering taking a gap year between school and university to gain some work experience, explore the world, or even just to save up some money. At UEA, we want to support you to make an informed choice and help you feel ready for your next steps.
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Deferred entry means you have applied for a course but are joining the year after. For example, if you applied for deferred entry in the 2025/2026 undergraduate application cycle, you wouldn’t start your course until September 2027.
This would give you a year-long break between finishing school and starting university, usually known as a gap year. Students who defer typically use the time to gain work experience, volunteer or earn some money.
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If you think you may want to apply for deferred entry, it is important you check which courses are open for deferred entry as not all courses will accept this. The easiest way to do this is to contact our admissions team who can help you.
Call our Admissions teamWhen applying for deferred entry, in your personal statement, it is helpful to explain what you plan to do during your gap year to support your case. This will then go to the admissions team who will make a decision.
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Deferring is a great option for many students but before you decide to do so, you need to consider a few key things.
If your deferred entry is accepted, you will not be able to apply anywhere else or to a different course, whilst you hold the deferred place. This means you need to be certain about your choice of study.
What will you do in your gap year? Taking time between school and university is fine to do but universities and future employers will want to know how you used that time. Whether that’s working or travelling the world – they just want to see you have done something during the year.
The transition back to studying can be harder when you have had a year out. It can be overcome, but it may take time to get used to the structure again.
You can find out more information about deferring on the UCAS website below.
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