Your Guide to University Clearing

A-level results are in and many of you will already know where you are going in September. But if you didn't quite get the grades you were expecting, university clearing is a great option.

But what exactly is it?

Clearing is where universities allow students to apply for the remaining spaces on different courses. It officially opened on 5th July, but will stay open until 23rd October, so you've still got plenty of time!

Is clearing right for me?

There are lots of reasons you might be applying through clearing: 

• You missed the application deadline

• You didn't receive any offers

• You don't want to accept the offers you received

• Your grades didn't meet the offer requirements

• You've decided you want to study something or somewhere else

If you're not sure if clearing is right for you, speak to your career's advisor at school, or call up your chosen university and ask them!

What courses are there?

There are loads of courses available on clearing, so it's worth visiting the UCAS courses search page to find out what's available. Bear in mind that the more competitive universities might not have any places available, but there are still lots of great universities that you might not have even considered! It's best to go in with an open mind and see what's available.

How do I apply?

You can apply for clearing through UCAS track. Your track status should say 'You are in clearing' or 'Clearing has started'. If it doesn't, or you're not sure how to apply, call up the UCAS support line. They'll be able to tell you everything you need to know. Before you apply, call your desired university first to see if they are still accepting places and if you have the grades needed to be accepted. Before you call them, make sure you have:

• A list of questions to ask them

• A few courses that you would be interested in taking

• Your UCAS track number

• Your GCSE and A-Level grades

Once a university has given you an informal offer, you can go onto your UCAS track and add it to your clearing choice page. Make sure that you only add it to your UCAS page once you have received permission from the university. Remember to do this before the deadline they gave you on the phone! 

Clearing can be a stressful time for many students, but it doesn't need to be that way for you! Remember that everybody wants to help you and you can ask as many questions as you need to feel confident in your choice. And who knows? You might find a really great course that you hadn't even considered before!