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A little push goes far: How digital nudges can help students to meet the UCAS deadline

With the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) main deadline of 14 January 2026 fast approaching, prospective students have just a few more weeks to submit their completed applications. In this critical moment, universities are presented with a unique opportunity, one that allows them to offer the kind of support and guidance that can make the difference between an incomplete application and a successful submission.

Students using tablets in a classroom, illustrating how digital nudges can guide them toward meeting UCAS application deadlines.

After all — between researching universities and individual courses — students are already juggling multiple priorities as they prepare to undertake this next step in their educational journey. With that in mind, here are five prompts that can be personalised by your institution to offer clarity while urging prospective students to take action at exactly the right moment.

Our prompts for last-minute support:

1. Countdown email campaigns

Use the following AI prompts to create a series of short, focused, and informative emails:

7 days to go before the UCAS deadline: Highlight key steps and resources.
3 days to go before the UCAS deadline: Share quick tips for personal statements and UCAS submission guidance.
The day before the UCAS deadline: Send an urgent reminder with direct links to application portals.

Top tip: Automate the sending of these emails based on UCAS timelines.

2. SMS alerts to create a sense of urgency

Deploy text messages to communicate time-sensitive information. For example:

“3 days left to submit your UCAS application — don’t miss out! [Link]”
“Deadline today! Submit now to secure your place.”

Top tip: Coordinate multichannel communications so SMS complements your email and social outreach.

3. Social media reminders

Be it an Instagram Story or a TikTok video, use the right platform to:

Share countdown graphics.
Post short videos with application tips.
Encourage students to ask last-minute questions via comments or DMs.

Top tip: Track engagement and optimise timing with analytics to ensure posts land when students are most active.

4. On-demand digital support

Consider creating pre-recorded video guides on UCAS submission steps. Use your content to create:

Interactive FAQs and polls.
Community forums for peer and staff responses.
Automated email workflows linking to these resources.
Involve your current students to show how much fun they’re having at your university.

Top tip: Use interactive tools and automation to deliver support without real-time constraints.

5. Behaviour-triggered reminders

Set up automated nudges for:

Students who have started — but haven’t submitted — their applications.
Those who downloaded a prospectus or attended an open day but haven’t yet applied.

Top tip: Segment audiences and trigger reminders based on behaviour for maximum relevance.

Make every interaction count

This is a high-stakes moment. Whether it’s delivered through email, SMS, social media, or via an interactive channel, a little nudge goes far in helping prospective students to meet that all-important UCAS deadline.

Looking for more insight, strategies, and resources to help your prospective students?

Download our From Click to Campus Toolkit for campaign calendars, checklists, and proven engagement tactics.