If the grades you were hoping for didn’t materialize, don’t panic. There’s still a chance to achieve your UK university dreams through UCAS Clearing.
UCAS Clearing provides a lifeline for several scenarios: those who missed their university offer, exceeded their expectations and desire different courses, received no offers, or missed the June 30 application deadline.
To put it another way; Clearing is how universities fill empty spots on their courses. Most of the time, this is through finding students who have decided to go to university after the application deadline passed, or students who’ve not got the results they needed to get into their first-choice course and are looking for alternative courses or universities.
Clearing is nothing to worry or stress about; think of it as an opportunity to re-evaluate your choice, regardless of whether you receive predicted, better or lower grades. According to UCAS, last year 12,000 applicants who did not have a place on results day went on to be accepted onto a course in Clearing, including at prestigious universities and on coveted courses.
Important Times, Dates and the Application Process
The key time on the 17th August is 8:00am British Summer Time, or 11:00am here in the UAE. This is when you should be able to access your results. This is the same time that your results will be published live on UCAS Hub.
Mark these dates:
- Clearing is open from July 5 to October 17, 2023.
- Most Clearing options appear after A Level results are released on August 17 – but if you happen to have received your results before (either because you have received your IB Results, BTEC results, of the Cambridge International board A Level results early) – then you can start searching on Clearing right away. Commentators are claiming that international students are being given privileged exclusive early access this year to some courses at Russell Group universities and others.
The Clearing process boils down to these simple steps:
- Explore Available Courses: As of July 5, you can peruse the course listings to identify universities participating in Clearing. This means a diverse range of options is available.
- Direct Communication with Universities: Reach out directly to your preferred universities or colleges. This proactive step involves contacting them to see if they’d accept you into the course of your choice. We recommend ALWAYS calling, rather than emailing. Be ready and armed to sell yourself on the telephone. Teams of people are waiting for calls during Clearing.
- Integration of Clearing Choice: Once you receive an offer, officially add it to your application. This cements your place in the chosen program.
Clearing Plus
Feeling overwhelmed by your Clearing options? Clearing Plus is a sort of matchmaking service for students and universities with available spaces. The programme will use the information from your application and automatically match you with courses you might be interested in, at universities that are likely to be looking for someone like you. Find out more about Clearing Plus here.
Navigating Clearing as an International Student
If you’re an international student aspiring to study in the UK, the Clearing path is open to you as well. The process is largely similar to that of UK students, but a few nuances exist, especially concerning the necessary documentation. Beyond the standard process, many international students will need to secure a student visa. Keep in mind that this visa process typically takes around three weeks for completion. Additionally, non-native English speakers might need to undertake an English language assessment.
While some international students, such as IB students, might receive their exam results earlier (e.g., on July 6), the majority of Clearing opportunities for all students, UK and international alike, will unfold after the A Level results are announced on August 17.
Prepare for results day
Nerves will be jangling on results day, so make sure you know how it works and what to expect.
- Have your application sign in details handy and update your contact details if you need to.
- Make sure you’re available on results day, because UCAS can’t speak to anyone else about your application details unless you have already given them nominated access to speak on your behalf.
- Check how your exam results get to your universities/colleges – most come directly to UCAS from the awarding organisations, and UCAS then sends them on to your choices. Or if this is not the case then you will need to send your exam results to your universities or colleges yourself.
Your Status on UCAS
Make sure you check your status on UCAS, even if you didn’t get the results you hoped for. Sometimes your university will accept you onto the course anyway.
Unsure of what your UCAS status means? This handy table will tell you everything you need to know.
From 11:00am UAE time, on 16th August 2023, enter your UCAS number and password on the UCAS Hub here and you will immediately learn if you have been successfully accepted by your chosen university. You will be notified for each course/university whether you have been accepted (“Unconditional”), rejected (“Unsuccessful”) or being offered an alternative option (Unconditional Chnaged Course).
What to do before you pick up the phone in Clearing
So you’ve found your new potential match through Clearing? Before you even think about calling, take a deep breath, make sure you have a quiet space with good signal, and ensure you have everything together. UCAS advises that you will need:
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- your Personal ID number
- your Clearing number
- your grades/UCAS Tariff points
- information about why you want a place: you’ll be speaking to unis about why you’re looking to join the course and your achievements, so have some bullet points written down in front of you
Also note down on a piece of paper you can see (not on your phone, if that’s what you will be using to call):
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- the university name
- phone number
- course code and title
Leave space to note down anything important so you can concentrate on the call without ending up getting confused between the universities you’ve spoken to.
Tips for calling universities through Clearing
UCAS has some handy tips for those nerve-wracking phone calls:
Be upbeat and courteous
Making a good impression is key. Show your passion and enthusiasm for the course and clearly explain why you want a place there. Even if you’re stressed about your situation, be polite and calm on the phone to give yourself the best chance.
Research the university before calling
Make sure you research the uni and the course before picking up the phone. If you can’t demonstrate why you want to go, you may not be offered a place.
Find out some key information about them first. You could use uni websites, league tables, and chat to current students on Unibuddy to help you.
Don’t have your mum ring for you
Although it might be tempting to let your parents handle the phone calls, you should speak to the university yourself. It might be daunting, but everyone on the other end of the phone is there to help.
Keep your cool
As rushed and worried as you might feel, remember, there are lots of places available and you’ve got plenty of options other than just doing an undergraduate degree – such as an apprenticeship and, ideally, a Degree Apprenticeship.
Consider places you might have looked at before
Just because you turned down a place at a uni before, it doesn’t mean you can’t try and get another offer. Especially if you visited the campus and it felt like a good fit for you.
Take your time
It’s a busy time but be sure to make an informed decision. Don’t call out of desperation, make sure it’s somewhere you actually want to study.
If you had your heart set on a specific course or uni and you didn’t get the grades, you may want to consider reapplying the following year or taking a gap year.
You could even look at options like foundation years to still study the course you wanted to do, at the same provider.
And our final piece of advice? Never give up hope – there are thousands of places available, and you will eventually find something that’s right for you, even if it takes some pivoting and agility, or if it looks very different to what you first expected. Remember: beautiful new beginnings often look like painful endings at first glance.
Good luck Class of 2023, you’ve got this!
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