Clearing - who to call & when ? Dept or central switchboard? Email?

[another20]

Do you wait until 9am?
Do you call the faculty or a central uni number?
Should you email as well?
Can you apply online to the uni - or is always a phone call?

Where do you find out what courses are available - via individual uni websites or ucas or complete uni guide clearing link?

When are these listed? CUG clearing link looks like every course is listed - so wonder if this is a mistake - as individual uni websites are not listing them?

Every University in Clearing will publish info on how to contact them. This may vary from university to university but many will have one central number to call. It’s much better to phone than email, as offers are made over the phone.

The lists of available courses are indicative only as the universities themselves will still be working out their position over the next couple of days.

The best thing is to calmly draw up a shortlist of courses and universities that would be of interest. If you’re waiting for A level results you can phone from about 8am on Thursday (again this will vary). If you already have other qualifications like BTEC then you can phone already.

Look on the UCAS website for more info about how this all works.

Good luck finding a suitable place.

Thank you New that is really v helpful.

Do you have to have calculated your ucas tariff points before calling - or will reading out the grades suffice?

Is it likely that phone lines will be engaged and and we will be pressing re-dial all morning - just trying to manage expectations & emotions...

Have your grades ready and your calculated tariff points. You are calling up universities individually on a morning/afternoon when they are extremely busy so it just makes sense to make that phone call prepared.

And please be prepared to be redialling all morning. Remember that you can barter your place if needs be - if you have a particular strength in an extracurricular activity, for example. Perhaps write a few bullet points down of what you want to say before starting the calls. The student also has to be the one to make the calls, not the parent or a teacher, so be prepared for that too. It is not scary honestly, these universities want to fill their places and it does not have to be a stressful experience.

I'm mot finding the CUG lists as being as up to date. You can go to their league tables for a subject and some of the unis have a clearing option next to them, presumably for that course at that uni. However, ds's firm choice did show his course in clearing a week ago but no longer but CUG still shows that it does.
Also, I have registered with a couple of ds's preferred clearing choices who will email out their clearing lists once confirmed. Some implied that this might be before Thursday.

Ds could do this himself obviously but I am trying to prepare for plan c and keep all options open!

Many of the clearing hotlines open at 6am.

I don't understand how some courses are already in clearing for this and 2018! I thought that places go into clearing once they are not filled. If anyone can explain this to me, would be fantastic.
Thanks.

Some courses are not filled because they did not have enough applicants (with the right grades) to fill the spaces available in the first place.

Courses will already be in clearing as they’ve not been filled, or students have withdrawn. Also offers will have been made to students not doing A levels - international, baccalaureate, Scottish students who have already had results and released places.

Why are hotlines open at 6am if UCAS track doesn’t update until 8am?

Once you get a verbal offer on the phone is the next step that that uni updates officially with an offer via clearing? Can you still keep calling around at this point to seek other opportunities?

Do you have a time limit to officially accept a clearing offer. If more opportunities come on bit of FOMO if accept something too quickly?

A verbal offer is great but defensive mutely keep ringing around. By the afternoon/end of day be ready to confirm. You will then be able to confirm your choice via The UCAS website. If you are very keen on a particular place get them to email through their offer so you have it in writing.

Not defensive mutely??!! Definitely keep ringing around...

The school or college will have staff all geared up to help those who missed their grades negotiate clearing and those who exceeded their grades with adjustment.
The Daily Telegraph also has useful advice and updates clearing info on results day. They used to do a clearing App, not sure if there is one this year.

On Wednesday all the universities going into clearing should have up to date lists of which courses still have vacancies, so spend Wed evening wisely! Get your results from your school and start phoning. If you've been sensible you'll have a list to phone in order - use the dedicated clearing phone numbers as they'll be set up to take large volumes of calls. You can have as many clearing offers as you want, but aim to choose by the end of Thursday and accept via UCAS. Then Friday get onto the accommodation office.

Check the University/ies you're interested in, see when their Clearing/Adjustment lines open and call that number. Don't call anywhere else unless directed to, AFTER you have called the UNiversity's central Clearing number. Most lines open at around 8am (or the one at my place does!)

Don't email as well. Telephone. And it MUST be the applicant directly, not a parent.

If there are places, you may be given a Departmental Admissions/Clearing telephone umber. Call them - again, the applicant must call. There's no point in us speaking with parents.

Good luck.

universities themselves will still be working out their position over the next couple of days

We got the information yesterday/early today. My Admissions Tutor is working out our position now, and by Tuesday/Wednesday we'll know if we're going into Clearing (we don't usually, but it's a volatile situation now).

But please note: it is embargoed until Thursday morning. DON'T telephone until then. It'll waste your time and ours.

if you have a particular strength in an extracurricular activity, for example

Oh no not that myth? Unless you're an Admissions Tutor in one of those mythical Departments that takes people on the strength of a Duke of Edinburgh award ( I've never come across one of those in a long career).

It'll be your A Levels, Highers, BTEC, or Bacc results.

@SilverBuckles I knew someone who used her very impressive rowing background when going through clearing. She had missed the grades but was offered a place. She was very high level at her sport and it would have been remiss not to point this out.

One anecdote.

In 25 years as an academic I’ve never made an offer to an applicant where insufficient grades were made up for by extra-curricular activity.

Having previously helped at Clearing at an RG uni, extracurriculars played no part there. It was purely on grades. We were given the information about the minimums for each course and it was purely on the basis of whether those were met.

It may be different in other places, but if you are told no, I personally wouldn’t waste time giving a full life history. Move on to the next.

Also, if nothing comes up, seriously consider a gap year and reapplying with known grades. They’ll then be treated as an unconditional candidate (assuming they’re made and accept an offer during they’re gap year) and will generally then have the pick of accommodation, time to plan etc. Even a year spent working part-time jobs is valuable in terms of experience and building up savings.

Remember that you can barter your place if needs be - if you have a particular strength in an extracurricular activity, for example.

To reiterate what other academics' have said: please don't peddle this myth. University courses in Clearing have minimum academic grade requirements. You cannot barter a place based on world class rowing or music.

However, lower tariff institutions may well drop to quite low grade requirements - particularly this year, with the demographic drop in students.

Whatever institutions/courses a student is looking at in Clearing, they should be clear that they want to do those courses and that the courses will take them where they want to go. Taking a year out to think through options is far better than accepting a course in Clearing in a panic and not enjoying it.

Taking a year out to think through options is far better than accepting a course in Clearing in a panic and not enjoying it.

Sterling advice. There is nothing wrong with a year away from formal education, and off the exam treadmill.

In fact, I think it should be compulsory! I much prefer teaching students who've made a deliberate & unforced decision to study with me, than those who are there because
it's the thing to do
they can't think of anything better
their parents expected them to go to university.

Can you request a deferred place during clearing ? Or will you just be told to reapply?

If your grades don’t meet their standard offer have you any chance of getting in if you took a year out and reapplied?

Can you request a deferred place during clearing ? Or will you just be told to reapply?

No. Clearing is for 18/19 entry.