Likelihood of success when phoning up a uni on results day

Okay, I'll try and keep this as short as I can, but I'm not brilliant at summaries.

So, for certain reasons, I changed my mind about which uni I'd like to go to and which subject I'd like to do at an exceptionally inconvenient time...that being that it was a few weeks after I'd sent off my firm and insurance uni. I don't wish to go to either now.

I spoke to the head of 6th form about my how I'd realised that actually Aberystwyth (a uni I haven't applied for in the first place) was the one for me. I assumed a gap year was most likely the answer and I should apply next year, but she said I could try ringing up on the day and just asking "Hey, do you have any places on this course? I have these grades and I'd like to come to your uni." and that there's a chance they'll have a space and let me in (y'know, assuming I don't fail everything and actually get the grades).

Thing is, I googled the whole "adjustment and clearing" at Aberystwyth thing and it said something along the lines of "We don't do either, we're too popular already. Apply next year and don't be so indecisive" (paraphrased except for the last bit obviously :wink:

). On the other hand, surely some people must drop out leaving spaces? Not everyone gets the grades, so with no clearing what do they do?

I guess I wanted to ask this on here because I knew there's probably a very high chance I'll ring them up and they'll be like "No. Apply next year. Geez, we already put this on the website!" but there's still a small part of me, despite that, that is hoping desperately I will not be forced to wait a year in a menial job while everyone else goes and has fun at uni. So has anyone been accepted this way? Does anyone know anyone whose been accepted via the phone on results day?

Any answers are happily accepted, even if they do bring me back down to earth with a painful bump. :smile:

I really just want a rough idea of how this is likely to go down.

Reply 1

TheSownRose

16

Original post by Veren110

Any answers are happily accepted, even if they do bring me back down to earth with a painful bump. :smile:

I really just want a rough idea of how this is likely to go down.

If you are absolutely sure you don't want to go to your firm or insurance at all, even if you get in and even if the alternative is not going in 2012 and reapplying for 2013 instead, you have nothing to lose by entering Clearing. Worst case scenario, you end up taking the gap year anyway; best case, you get in this year.

So, if that is the case, you may as well enter Clearing - it's quite simple to arrange this, just phone up your firm and insurance now (or when you are certain ... and don't do anything until you're certain, because it's easy to get out but nigh on impossible to get back in) and ask them to reject you. This means you'll go into results day holding no offers and automatically enter Clearing, so you can get started nice and quickly.

Alternative options:

•

if you don't want to risk having no place and think you've exceeded your offer, wait and use Adjustment - this guarantees you won't lose your firm, and theoretically any Clearing places can also be taken by Adjustment. The catch is, you may not have exceeded your offer and then you have to decide whether to risk it or not under pressure. If you decide to risk it, you have to proceed to alternative number 2, which is...

•

you can wait until results day and get released then, but the catch here is it can take a while (a few days is certainly not unusual, a couple of weeks is extreme but possible and has happened.)

As for how likely it is, it's hard to tell. I have known people go to Aberystwyth through Clearing and I don't see how they can know now that they will have absolutely no places in Clearing. However, they may be correct. But if they are and you didn't want to go to your firm/insurance anyway, are you in any worse position? I would argue that you're not.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

jelly1000

21

Original post by TheSownRose

If you are absolutely sure you don't want to go to your firm or insurance at all, even if you get in and even if the alternative is not going in 2012 and reapplying for 2013 instead, you have nothing to lose by entering Clearing. Worst case scenario, you end up taking the gap year anyway; best case, you get in this year.

So, if that is the case, you may as well enter Clearing - it's quite simple to arrange this, just phone up your firm and insurance now (or when you are certain ... and don't do anything until you're certain, because it's easy to get out but nigh on impossible to get back in) and ask them to reject you. This means you'll go into results day holding no offers and automatically enter Clearing, so you can get started nice and quickly.

Alternative options:

•

if you don't want to risk having no place and think you've exceeded your offer, wait and use Adjustment - this guarantees you won't lose your firm, and theoretically any Clearing places can also be taken by Adjustment. The catch is, you may not have exceeded your offer and then you have to decide whether to risk it or not under pressure. If you decide to risk it, you have to proceed to alternative number 2, which is...

•

you can wait until results day and get released then, but the catch here is it can take a while (a few days is certainly not unusual, a couple of weeks is extreme but possible and has happened.)

As for how likely it is, it's hard to tell. I have known people go to Aberystwyth through Clearing and I don't see how they can know now that they will have absolutely no places in Clearing. However, they may be correct. But if they are and you didn't want to go to your firm/insurance anyway, are you in any worse position? I would argue that you're not.

\a lot of unis over offer so they arent left with too many places

Reply 3

TheSownRose

16

Original post by jelly1000

\a lot of unis over offer so they arent left with too many places

That is true, but many factors can affect it. They may have had an unusually large number of their offers not get picked for firm or insurance, an above average number of people may fail to get the required grades (or have them as insurance and meet the firm), they may get more people than anticipated not end up going...

Reply 4

PinkyPurply

12

Aberystwyth prefer to offer any open places to people who have held them as a firm offer but haven't met the grades rather than people who come through clearing.

Reply 5

Juno

20

Aber has a housing crisis for 2nd and 3rd year accommodation, which may be something you need to consider before applying there. This may also have an effect on the number of places they offer - many people expect the uni to "do something" and limiting Clearing applicants would be one way of going about that. Note that doesn't necessarily mean they have fewer students, but would enable them to make a statement saying "we're aware of the housing crisis so decided not to participate in Clearing" to reassure people.

Likelihood of success when phoning up a uni on results day

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