Everything you need to know about clearing
The plan was to continue with the self-confidence series, however, I thought an informative piece on how clearing works and what to do if you do not meet your grades was important due to all the uncertainty of this year. The links to all three parts of the self-confidence series are below.
Results day is nearing, as much as we may not want it to. On 10 August this year, A level results will be released (at around 8am), followed by GCSE results on 12 August. For many students going into university, these results will determine your future education. This is why it’s really important to understand what you need to do if things don't go as planned. Clearing is one of the most useful tools that UCAS provides for students who don’t get into their firm or insurance university course. Clearing is where universities have free spaces on their courses, and students who don't make their university grades can phone up and take these spaces. Clearing works on a ‘first come first serve’ basis - meaning that you need to act fast on results day!
This guide will take you through results day, the clearing process, and how you can make sure you're set for the future, no matter what results day brings.
If you make your firm grades or your insurance grades, great! Your place at that university is confirmed. If not, you need to decide your next steps. The most important thing to do is to have a plan in advance.
The UCAS website tells us that the first step in applying through clearing is to ask for advice. This means talking to your careers/higher education advisor at school or college, or maybe just talking to a teacher or an adult who is familiar with the process. If you don’t make your grades, some schools or colleges will ask you to phone them immediately, so they know what your situation is and so that they can help you with your next steps.
The second step (or first if you don't have any advisor to phone) is to go onto your UCAS track and check that it has updated to say you are in clearing. Now, look for a button - ‘My matches’ which should appear. This is a tool called ‘Clearing plus’. This means that UCAS will automatically match you with the top 50 courses in clearing which are similar to the courses you applied to - so it’s very useful!
If you like any of these courses that have vacancies, and you meet their requirements, you can call them up to confirm your place.
If you want to apply for a different course, don’t worry! All the clearing courses are available using the search tool on the UCAS website. (https://digital.ucas.com/search)
Make sure you keep checking the page: unis will regularly update the courses available through clearing, so even if you don't find anything, keep looking! You can also check specific uni websites.
When you’ve found a course you like, you need to call the university and give them your clearing number (you can find this on your UCAS track). They can give you an ‘informal offer’, meaning they will say you can have a place there. If you’re not sure which course you want to choose, make sure you call a few of them and receive a few informal offers - this gives you some flexibility.
You also need to ask the university some questions - accommodation? Modules? You need to make sure you are well informed as you very well might end up going there.
Here is a small checklist to prepare for calling your clearing choices:
Do your research beforehand: about the course, modules, etc. You may be asked why you want to apply, as some unis like to do a small ‘informal interview’ over the phone before offering you a place.
Act like you’re serious about applying, not just taking whatever you can get (even if you are!). This will make the universities more likely to offer you a place.
Note down any questions you want to ask them!
Make sure you have your UCAS ID, Clearing number and grades with you
Have your personal statement close by (and re-read it)
Make sure you know who you’re speaking to, and make a note if you have to call back/call at a different time
Finally, once you have permission from the uni, you can add your clearing choice on UCAS track. You can only do this after 14.00 (UK time) on the 10th August (results day), so make sure that in the morning you’ve phoned up unis, received informal offers, and chosen which course you’d like to accept.
This is a simple process and info on how to do it can be found on the UCAS website.
Once you’ve added your clearing choice and the university has confirmed your place, it will show up on track as a confirmed place. Then, you’re all set!
This process can be stressful. Having to act quickly whilst being upset or angry that you didn’t make your grades can feel impossible - but you have to do it. Think of it this way: you are working quickly to resolve the issue and you are making sure that your grades do not affect your future like they could. It isn’t a fun process, but once it's done, it's done, and you will be confirmed a place on a course that you’ve chosen. Then, you can sit back and relax!
Hopefully this guide has helped you understand the clearing process and made you feel slightly more at ease about results day. Whatever happens, you have the power to make the best of it.
Good luck!
For more official information about clearing check out the UCAS website: https://www.ucas.com/clearing-launch
