If you need to go through clearing on results day, do you phone the unis directly or is there one centralised telephone number ?

[JennyTals]

Like I understand if you don’t get your first choice
but you don’t want your insurance choice you need to see if you can get a place though clearing

so as I understand it you need to get a verbal offer first
then when you do
you release your insurance offer

any tips on this process at all as I’m trying to help prepare for my dc
but not been to uni myself so not done this before

Sorry, I too am new to this so no advice, but hoping someone wise comes along soon

You have to contact each university directly.

You can check earlier in the week which courses still have places and are in Clearing so you can make a shortlist of possibilities and have the contact numbers ready and hit the phones straightaway. One of my DC went through Clearing and received five offers on results day because they were organised and hit the phone early.

Yeh you ring each uni. Best to prep as a pp says, info will be out earlier than results day so get a list together.

Sone unis have a much better process - some have lists of clearing offers on their homepage which is v much what you want!

DD and I were in the phones for hours, both of us at once, a horrible day but it worked out well. Dd had four offers by 5pm and a clearing offer day to go to the next day (where she eventually studied). Best of luck.

Can I ask - if you've got grades in hand and an unconditional place - but you see something in clearing which you'd prefer - when can you contact that university? And when can you see what's available in clearing?

Each one individually.

When I went to uni, I didn't get the grades for my first choice uni. I phoned them first, and they offered me a joint course rather than the single I'd applied for. So I still got to go to my first choice

each one individually, and some will have live chat or online forms rather than a phone line. My institution doesn’t take phone calls.

Clearing lists start to become available the week before but are only really finalised on the day.

if you see something you’d prefer in clearing you can get a verbal offer then release yourself into clearing to accept it

Def keep looking and make your lists in the week running up to results day.

They all ahve different processes. Some offer you to pre-register in that lead up week and then email you on the morning (although some dont follow through).

Some have an online chat.
Some ask you to call.

We had 2 laptops and 2 mobile phones up and running for our hit list.
Need PS to hand for impromtu interviews. It was stressful and full- on but sorted by the end of the day.

My DD was telling me about her friend last night would didnt make her offer on results day - so was rejected by the uni .... but the applied to them in clearing and got in!!! Maybe the uni thought they would fish out better candidates which didnt materialise. Although last summer was unusual for clearing.

Thanks so much for the advice
when you say you can check before
does that mean we have to call the unis in the days before ?
to see if they have clearing places ?
if it doesn’t say anything on the uni website

also do you know what time the results usually come out?

thank you so much

No - all unis are on lock down then .... but some many will update their websites - some posting late on the Wed evening before - butyou cant callanyone until 8am on the Thurs.

Clearing has changed quite a bit in the last few years it’s no longer just a case of preparing to call up on the day, it’s got a bit more complicated! Some universities are online only - only a few last year but I wonder if this will be different this year and more will take this approach. Some unis ask you to add yourself to ‘Pre-Clearing wait lists’ or ‘expression of interest’ or similar in the lead up to A-Level results day. In my experience this tends to be more common with the recruiting/less selective universities. There’s also the relatively new functionality on UCAS for applicants in Clearing where the system suggests Clearing places which may be of interest. Most unis still run Clearing hotlines so still be prepared for phone calls. So, there’s a few scenarios to be prepared for on results day itself.

My advice would be to look on the websites of universities of interest in the lead up to results day to find out their process, make a note of it, and be ready to act accordingly. Some will be advertising Clearing vacancies from July as that’s when it officially starts for those who get early results (BTEC etc) so you can sometimes get a feel for what might end up in Clearing on A-Level results day.

UCAS updates 8.00am A-Level results day, it will show as ‘in Clearing’ to applicants who are without a place. UCAS doesn’t show you your results. Schools have their own process for releasing results but best advice is to get results ASAP if entering Clearing as you’ll need them when applying for a Clearing place.

Also people 'trade-up' during the clearing process as well.

https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing

A whole section on Clearing on the UCAS website - there is a whole lot more to the site than just a form to fill in, so your DC may already have discovered this. Clearing actually opens in early July, but at that point, it's only really relevant to.those with grades in hand from previous years, plus IB students, who get their results earlier than those taking A levels.

Some unis will have clearing lists available on their website in the week before, but they’re subject to change. You can’t call them as the embargo means they can’t discuss it. If they don’t choose to publish lists till on results day, thats up to them, but I don’t know of anyone that does this to be honest.

UCAS updates from 8am. Results release is dependent on your school, but the best advice is to pick them up as soon as possible, and give your child plenty of time if they do need Clearing - places fill quick!

Thank you so much everyone this is so helpful
it all feels a bit stressful to me !
thank you

@crazycrofter clearing is actually open in July, though there may be more options after results day. There is then an embargo for a week I believe just before results day. But with grades in hand beforehand you can just ring the unis if they will accept them before the embargo. Obviously everyone has their grades after results day!
By the way I hear it's the applicant, not their parent, who should do the ringing around. Often the sixth form are available to offer advice on the day.

DS went through this last year. He had decent offers from RG universities but wasn’t excited about them or the course he’d applied for. He was starting to do very well in his mocks so was worried he had undersold himself. We started to look at the courses which were being listed in clearing and just tried to keep a very open mind about things. The message last year was that it was a buyer’s market and clearing was very different now to the times when you’d messed up your A levels and needed to find somewhere to take you.
The night before results day a very interesting course at a very highly ranked university was listed in clearing. Results day came and DS had an A in the subject he wanted to study at degree level so having received his results at 8am he was on the phone to this university at 8.10am. They gave him a verbal offer pretty much straight away. He got the offer confirmed by email a few hours later and received a phone call from a professor later in the day to talk about the course (this was a lovely touch). DS hadn’t ever considered this university prior to this point so we visited a few days later and fast forward to now, he’s really enjoying his time there.
We had discussed being open minded to considering other places on results day and I think that really paid off for him.

My ds went through clearing in 2023. 90% of unis have the clearing courses on their websites at 10pm on the Wednesday before results day.

After not getting into his firm or insurance he hit the phones straight away. He had an offer from Surrey that he was happy with by 9.30. He wasn't on hold for long 5 or 10 mins. He had an initial chat with someone to confirm the course he wanted/grades a level and gcses. He was put through to another department (admission or the course he wanted not sure who) and they gave him a verbal offer. The email confirmation came 10mins later guaranteeing halls place as well. From 1pm i think you can add your choice yo ucas. By Sunday he was choosing accommodation.it all went smoothly. It does pay to do research the night before/morning so thst if results aren't good you are ready to leap into action I wouldn't hang about.

When you say “The night before results day a very interesting course at a very highly ranked university was listed in clearing”
was that in that uni website

will follow your advice and try and keep an open mind

Really useful info
thanks so much everyone

I didn’t even think about the kids at college doing other courses other than a levels
so when do they tend to get their results ?

I think it was on the main clearing website. I remember seeing it quite late at night before the morning of the results and thinking it would be an incredible option. By chance it was at a university which sorts out accommodation after everyone has been offered a place so didn’t have the worry of being at the back of the queue for that.

I should be clear @JennyTals and say when he phoned on results day he dealt with the university directly.

I would also say that my DC was in complete shock at 8am to have missed his firm and insurance (which were both at the same Uni as he was so keen to go there) - so he really needed us to be 'on it' - of course he had to make decisions and do the calls - but we supported him logistically to throw his net wide and emotionally when he had to do interviews at places and courses he had never considered. This was a few years ago and there was not much going. Once he had a place he took some time to consider if he would ask for a deferall but chose not to in the end and just got his head around it all embraced the opportunity. It was stressful and he was like a rabbit in the headlights - but there was no time to waste. This past year was v different as drop in international students meant many more options at much lower grades.