UCAS clearing opened on 5th July. In 2018, just over 12% of university places were picked up through UCAS clearing, and this year will be no different. Previously seen as the last resort for a university place, clearing has become a respectable option over the last few years as more and more top tier universities have courses up for grabs.
However, if you already have an application with offers from your favourite as well as insurance choices, should you really consider jettisoning the whole lot in favour of a place advertised through UCAS clearing? My advice would be to hold tight and wait for results day on 15 August. It is tempting to mentally rewind the clock to the exams and any particularly difficult papers. However this does not necessary mean failure, quite the opposite! You still have a good chance of securing a place at your top university, possibly for a lower grade than the initial entry requirement. After universities have confirmed places for those who have achieved the required grades, there is a sliding scale of acceptances from one grade lower and onwards. It is here that personal statements often come into their own, persuading admissions tutors to either take or reject a student.
Prepare for clearing in any event. If you are feeling uneasy about your results you should:
1. Take note of any clearing choices you like the sound of, and have university clearing hotlines to hand for telephone calls on 15th.
2. Check UCAS track any time from 1am on 15th August and with any luck by 7.30am most university decisions will be made.
3. Start phoning universities from 8am onwards to grab the best UCAS clearing choices, distributed on a first come first serve basis.
4. Give the universities your UCAS ID and details of the course you want to study.
5. Universities confirm clearing places verbally and occasionally with emails. You will be able to update your confirmed place in UCAS track after 3pm