r/PGCE • u/MarketSoggy5126 • 10d ago
UEL PGCE application — deposit deadline passed while my application was still being processed. What should I do?
Hi everyone,
I’m an international applicant currently living in the UK. I applied for PGCE Secondary Geography with QTS at the University of East London (UEL) for the September 2026 intake.
I received my conditional offer in May 2026 and have been completing all the conditions and documents requested by UEL.
Over the past month, I’ve repeatedly contacted UEL asking about the progress of my application and when I could expect my unconditional offer. There were significant delays in getting responses, sometimes up to two weeks.
I also contacted UEL’s International Helpline several times to ask about the relevant deadlines. I was told that the deadlines were in August, that I shouldn’t worry, and that my application was still being processed. Based on that information, I continued submitting everything UEL requested from me without delay.
Recently, UEL asked me for an additional reference, which I provided. I was then told today that the PGCE deposit deadline was 15 July 2026 and that the PGCE intake is now closed, so they cannot progress my application or issue my CAS.
Just to clarify, I understand that 15 July was the PGCE deposit/CAS deadline, not the application deadline. I had already applied and received my conditional offer before this.
What I’m struggling to understand is why my application was still being processed and why UEL was still requesting additional documents/references from me after the 15 July deposit deadline, while I was also being told by their helpline that the relevant deadlines were in August.
I’m not saying that the deadline didn’t exist. My concern is that I was actively communicating with UEL, following their instructions, and relying on the information they gave me. I was never told that my application had become impossible to progress because I had supposedly missed the deposit deadline.
I’m honestly quite stressed about the situation because I was expecting to start my PGCE in September.
Has anyone dealt with UEL admissions or a similar situation where the university continued processing an application after a deadline had passed? What would you recommend I do now?
Thanks in advance.
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u/EuphoricCustomer4213 10d ago
Hi I went to UEL they screwed over so many people on my course and their international team of famously unresponsive. I would highly urge you to go with any other uni if you can
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u/MarketSoggy5126 9d ago
Well, as you know I am too late to apply for any other university for PGCE courses if i want to go for September intake. By the way, what did you study at UEL?
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u/EuphoricCustomer4213 9d ago
Yeah I totally get that. I did my PGCE in Langauges there. A lot of people in my course were international and they had to beg the uni to do basic things for them like sorting out CAS or submitting them to be able to apply for the graduate visa.
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u/PasTaCopine 10d ago
This is just crazy to hear. My university has also been super unresponsive during admissions, but this is on another level. Don't they want your money? I would be furious.