Accommodation for clearing/insurance

[Spendylots]

We are pondering choices for DD for 2024 entry.

Predicted AAA
Preferred choices all AAB and ABB

Concerned we can’t find a suitable uni she likes that offers BBB or lower, having visited a few. So we are thinking about clearing if it all goes wrong on results day.

Thinking she may go with AAB as firm and ABB as insurance - with the insurance one guaranteeing campus accommodation.

Does anyone know of any good unis where you’d be likely to get campus/uni accommodation in clearing ?

For example, I know Reading don’t even guarantee accommodation for insurance places.

Dd went to Uni of Leicester through clearing and accommodation was guaranteed if she accepted the offer within a certain (shirt, but fair enough) timeframe. No choice on accommodation but it was fine.

Not sure if Leicester counts as “good” but it was great for her!

RHUL, Lancaster

What subject? Have you checked what grades her preferred unis accepted last year vs typical offer. You don't always get offered the typical ones.

@clary Many thanks yes Leicester is on the radar for clearing definitely. Great to hear about their accom. They definitely had places in clearing this year at reduced grades for her subject.

She visited RHUL and didn’t like it.

@LIZS I have checked on uni guide what average grades at what A level current students have - is this the same? For one of her top picks it looks like ABB rather than AAB so that’s encouraging. Weirdly the ABB entry requirement one the average grades are AAA.

UEA has always had plenty of accommodation in the past. However, this year a big block is currently out of use whilst the RAAC situation is investigated. Depending on the outcome of that (ie whether safe, or works need doing), it may be one to consider.

I saw this on their website just now and it didn’t sound great….
”As space in UEA accommodation is limited, we guarantee certain groups of students a room in residences. We do try to offer rooms to non-guaranteed students but this depends on availability. We will usually advise whether we are able to offer rooms to non-guaranteed students in late August or September.”

Check out their guaranteed groups. Most will prioritise freshers so returning students and postgrads may be non guaranteed. Tbh while it is worth clarifying don't let this determine which to apply to over course content and student experience,

They usually start offering existing students campus accommodation for the following academic year in February/March, way before new students have got a look in. And lots of existing students do stay on campus. I would imagine that if they end up having to stop using some accommodation next year, they will reduce/stop the offer to returners and keep the main supply for new students. It would be worth checking in March to see if they have offered any to returning students.

Another vote for Leicester - lots of reasonably priced accommodation and lots leery of choice in clearing - infact dc has gone back into halls for year 2 with friends

UEA only guarantee to firm, not insurance or clearing. And even then it might be a twin room so that’s out.

This is a big thing for us and it will be prioritised over course content etc. Having experienced first hand with elder sibling being in non uni non fresher accommodation, it potentially changes the whole uni experience so is very important. Less important is how fancy etc the accommodation is - less bothered by that. But v important to be with other first years guaranteed, and ideally on campus.

My ds got into Surrey this year through clearing with a guaranteed halls place.
But it was only guaranteed if he selected his room choice within four days. Which meant it had to be approved by UCAS and go through various Surrey systems within four days. It did work out and he got his first choice of accommodation but was a bit of a worry at the time.

Whatever you do don’t put Bath as insurance/clearing, it’s been a nightmare this year with lots of students not being able to get any kind of accommodation, even in the private sector.

That’s interesting - I thought I read there was a problem with there not being enough Surrey accommodation this yr?

Yes the places on my radar as a real problem are:
Bath
Bristol
Manchester
York
Glasgow
Edinburgh
London
Sussex/Brighton

Edinburgh was not a problem this year (they've made late accommodation offers to local Scottish students) but has previously. The number of students admitted has decreased since a bulge in Pandemic.

Leeds has had a real problem with this in the past, things might have improved through.

They guaranteed university accommodation for all those that accepted through clearing. But it was awful - the photos that they sent through clearly showed mould and dirty and cracked tiles. And as of 10 days before the students were due to arrive nothing had actually been agreed.

Gosh I'm surprised about York. I went there many moons ago and every first year got a place in halls plus a large proportion of third years too!

Yes I’ve noticed a few unis mentioning this year at open days that they are now reducing numbers - whether it to be in line with what accommodation they can offer I’m not sure.

York were putting students in Hull and laying buses on - not what you’d want!

Yes I also read that there were insurance and clearing students left without halls accommodation. Ds's two friends from home who got in to Surrey as insurance did get rooms on campus. So difficult to know how big a problem it was.
I think you are right to prioritise this, it is a very important part of the student experience to be with lots of other first years.

Great to read the love for Leicester - have said before on here but I think it is deeply underrated (on MN anyway!) - not RG you see. Underrated by us too before DD got her clearing place tbh - for some reason it had not been on our radar. Not strictly a campus but uni buildings altogether and then accomm mostly out at Oadby on like a mini campus with lots to do and decent facilities.

DD only had days to sort out her halls place tbf but that was fine - IIRC it went roughly Thursday results day, Friday clearing offer day at Leics, decided to accept Friday pm, called on Saturday to sort accommodation.

FWIW DD's course (Eng lit) has a prospectus offer of ABB IIRC and she got in with BCC. I think it's the kind of place that will be flexible about grades. I don't know (Obvs) about other subjects but for Eng lit it was great, good choice of modules, amazing PT, really responsive tutors across the dept, good pastoral support, massively diverse student body.

Lovely to hear! I checked Leicester out on clearing day and DDs subject is normal entry ABB but clearing CCC although appreciate this year was a bit mad - York had her subject for BBC usual entry AAB but guessing there was no accommodation.

Did I read somewhere that Leicester was applying for RG membership? Not that that matters to us at all but may make it more popular.

The layout sounds similar to Sheffield - DD definitely prefers a campus but in clearing one has to prioritise!

Totally agree - it wasn’t on dc’s list but it’s been great. The geography department are fantastic and because it’s relatively speaking a smaller department, the tutors/lecturers etc know the students well. Fab field trips too. And the accommodation is very reasonable - dc is paying less than £100/week to share with 5 friends - 2 mins from campus (many first years are in Oadby which is a lovely suburb but a couple of miles out so Uni have a free shuttle bus 6 days a week)

The diversity we hadn’t really thought about until we visited one Uni recently which was incredibly mono cultural - white. Depressing and really put us off. So a priority for DD is to be mixing with a diverse student body. She’s led a bit of a mono cultural life and would like to expand her knowledge and experience at Uni wrt this. Also students from a wide variety of backgrounds I think is important.

@Spendylots I read that too about Leicester applying to be RG. Agree this may up its profile tho tbh that would be a shame in some ways - DD described it as the kind of place where instead of the Warwick (for example) vibe of "Oh yes I've read all the books for this module" in week one, it was more "Heck I've only just decided my essay title and it's due in tomorrow" - not saying this is a good attitude haha but DD (inclined to a) panic and b) measure herself against others) said it made her feel a bit more at ease with her own work schedules.

Funnily enough we went to Sheffield and DD was not keen but I think there were other factors on the day. Leics was also close to us which turned out to be very important - and wherever you are in the country it's pretty easy to access which I think (tho I know some disagree) is another important consideration.

Both Nottingham and Nottingham Trent had accommodation for clearing students this year but it tends to be the more expensive options that are left.