Person crouched over a desk writing on a piece of paper.

Help with your Application

The first step in applying for a course is to decide what you are going to study. Have a look at our website to browse all courses which are open for applications. On course listings, you can view a course overview and information about what you will learn, entry requirements and progression routes.

Make sure that you consider your options carefully and that you meet the entry requirements before submitting your application. If you need help with selecting your course you could speak to a guidance teacher, family member or friend.

Prepare your application

Before you start your application online it’s a good idea to have the documents you will need for your application ready to go. To complete your application, you will need:

  • Your qualifications and Scottish Candidate Number (SCN)
  • Documents relating to your residency, if applicable

At this stage, you may also want to start working on your personal statement in a Word document so you can paste it into your online application later.

Disposable yellow coffee cup on a desk while a student is taking notes in a notebook.

Writing you personal statement

As part of your application, you will need to write a personal statement. This is a couple of paragraphs of text which outline why you should be considered for the course. You can save your application and return to it later to give you some time to work on your personal statement. We recommend that you complete your personal statement before you start your application so you can paste it in when you’re working through the application steps.

How to Write a Great Personal Statement

Start your application online

You can submit one application for a full-time course, and up to three applications for part-time courses.

To start an application, click the ‘Apply Now’ button. This will take you to our online application system where you complete and submit your application.

If you have not applied online before, you will need to register your details to create an account. Creating an account will allow you to access your application, return to it at a later date and check the status of the application. You will need to enter your name, date of birth, a valid email address and create a secure password.

We will get in touch with you through the email address you provided on your application so make sure you will be able to access this email.

Submit your application

Once you have checked over your application and are happy with it, it’s time to hit submit. You will receive an email confirmation once you have submitted. This will have details of the course you applied to, how to check the progress of your application and contact details if you have any questions.

Attend an interview

For some courses you may need to attend an interview or audition, complete an assessment or submit a portfolio of work before an offer is made. If this is a requirement for you, you will be emailed with more information.

If you need any special arrangements in place to attend or submit your work, please let us know when you respond to the request.

Receiving your course offer

Once you have submitted your application and attended an interview if required, you will be given a conditional or unconditional offer from the college. A conditional offer means that you must obtain further qualifications or meet certain criteria before you are accepted onto the course. An unconditional offer means that you have been accepted on to the course and are guaranteed a place.

If you are not successful in securing a place on the course of your choice, you will be considered for another suitable course which is available.

Apply for funding

When you receive a course offer you should apply for funding as soon as possible to ensure you have this in place for when your course starts. You can apply for funding to cover the cost of fees and help with living expenses. Find out more about funding on the Funding and Fees section of our website.

Get support in place

Before you start your course you should let us know about any support needs you have so we can get this in place for when your course starts. If you have told us about your learning support needs on your application form, we will be in contact with you. If you would like to speak to someone about your support needs at college you can contact the Learning Support team by emailing learning.support@edinburghcollege.ac.uk

Attend a Welcome Event

Before you start your course, you will be invited to attend a Welcome Event to help prepare you for your time at college. For the foreseeable future, our Welcome Events will be virtual. These events will provide you with information about Edinburgh College, how to access College systems and an introduction to key Student Services teams.

If you need any help with your application you can contact the Course Information team on courseinfo@edinburghcollege.ac.uk