- The University of Cape Town (UCT) is prepared to welcome approximately 4 500 bright-eyed first-year students.
- The dedicated First-Year Campus Reception (FYCR), introduced a few years ago with the intention to provide first-year students with a smooth transition to university life.
- First-year students can expect to conduct important tasks at the FYCR, such as getting their student card or collecting a laptop if they signed up for the laptop programme, among other things.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is prepared to welcome approximately 4 500 bright-eyed first-year students who have been accepted for their inaugural year of study at the oldest university in South Africa, also recognised as the oldest university in Sub-Saharan Africa in continuous operation.
The dedicated First-Year Campus Reception (FYCR), introduced a few years ago with the intention to provide first-year students with a smooth transition to university life, will kick off on Saturday 27 January 2024 and will run until Monday the 29th. The event is set to take place at the Sports Centre on upper campus from 08:00 to 17:00 daily.
First-year students can expect to conduct important tasks at the FYCR, such as getting their student card or collecting a laptop if they signed up for the laptop programme, among other things.
UCT received a total of 92 841 applications from prospective first-year students for admissions in 2024. It is important to note that this refers to the number of applications and not the number of applicants (which is lower as prospective students apply for more than one programme). The Faculty of Health Sciences received the most applications, with a total of 19 029.
“At UCT we believe education is not just about earning a degree,” Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Emeritus Daya Reddy said. “Certainly, a certificate helps open doors to a career, but most important at UCT is what people do with what they learn.“We believe the most important goal of education is to unleash human potential, to build a fair and just society. This is the central focus of UCT’s Vision 2030 strategic statement.”
Watch Professor Reddy’s full message to first-year students.
Prospective students who have been made a firm offer after the release of the 2023 matric results would have received an email containing detailed information about the FYCR as well as instructions on how to book their time slot. Students should use only UCT credentials (UCT student number/UCT email address) and not any other email address, such as Gmail, to log in to the FYCR booking system.
The FYCR will be followed by orientation activities from 30 January to 9 February 2024.
Students are urged to visit their faculty website, especially the pages about registration and orientation, for useful information to guide them through this important start to their life as an enrolled UCT student.
View the full list of faculty orientation programmes.
UCT’s teaching and learning programme will commence on Monday 12 February 2024.
