Clearing: Step One – Get Organised
As our education expert Jessica Moore explained last week, every year there are students who’d never given Clearing a second thought who suddenly find themselves frantically trying to figure out the system come results day.
Unfortunately there’s always a slim chance that you could have failed to attain the grades needed for either your firm or insurance offer, and it is worth at least considering this eventuality – particularly if your insurance offer is quite high.
Of course, it could just as easily be that you only decided university was for you after the June 30 deadline, or you’ve changed your mind about your initial choices, or even that you’ve done much better than expected and want to see if you can get onto a more competitive course through “Adjustment”.
Whatever the case, A-level results day takes place on Thursday 16 August, and once it gets going the events will come thick and fast. So it’s a good idea to make sure you have all the information you might need to know on the day to hand well in advance.
Talking to your teachers and career officers is always recommended. They will be familiar with the results process – and, should it be needed, the Clearing system – and can also make informed suggestions as to which courses and universities would suit you best.
But here are some other points to consider:
– How will you receive your exam results? Some students will receive them by post or text, while others will have to collect them from their school or college.
– How will your “firm” and “insurance” choice universities receive your exam results? In most cases they receive them directly from Ucas, but in certain cases students may need to forward their grades on to their chosen higher education institutions. Visit the Ucas website to find out if this applies to you.
– Have you got your log-in details for Track, the Ucas website on which universities will tell you their decisions on your acceptance once they have your exam results?
– What are the precise conditions of your offers? Make sure you are clear on exactly what your firm and insurance offers will require, and contact them in advance if any of the conditions need further explaining.
– Have you made a note of the contact details of your firm and insurance choice universities’ admission offices? If you haven’t met or aren’t sure if you’ve met your offers, you’ll want to speak with them right away to establish whether you’ve got a place.
– Do you know where to look for further information? The Telegraph's Clearing website and apps are full of detailed information, but make sure you have the Ucas advisers’ contact details to hand in case further problems arise.
You should also get familiar with the Telegraph’s coursefinder, which will enable you search for available spaces on results day either via the website, mobile site or by downloading our App, available now from Apple and Android stores.
Finally – and it’s an obvious point – make sure you’re actually around on the day. Universities will want to discuss your application and qualifications with you, not somebody acting on your behalf. You may need to convince them you’re right for the course if it comes to Clearing, so don’t go off on holiday until you’re sure you’ve got the place you want. If you absolutely can’t be there for the day, you can contact Ucas in advance to appoint somebody else to act on your behalf.
- A-level results day: are you prepared?
- University entry: a Ucas insider's guide
- 10 top subjects for University Clearing
Step two of our complete guide to University Clearing arrives next week.
Follow Telegraph Education on Twitter: @tele_education
