[RK]

With August exam results day approaching in less than 2 months we're looking in to developing some of our content to help people who need to go through clearing.

I'm sure there a quite a number of people who use the site who have been through clearing and so have experience of the process which could help people going through it this year.

Earlier in the year a small number of people wrote short pieces for us about their experiences of clearing. We've put these together here.


But we would like some more people to write about how they found it. So if you've been through clearing and want to write about how you found it, either post in this thread, or if you would rather remain anonymous, you can personal message me your contribution.

We'll then try and put up those we receive.



So what can you write about? A few ideas include:

• how did you end up in clearing process?
• how did you find out about the process and what to do?
• how did you feel about having to go through clearing?
• how did you find the actual process of contacting universities etc?
• how did things work out in the end after you got a place and went to university?

You might also want to take a look at the examples already up on the page for more inspiration.

[RK]

Do we need to make an offer of riches to encourage you to have a go at this?


Well we can do that We will give some riches (amount to still be decided upon, but a nice number) for anyone who can help us out here with their experiences of clearing.

We'll also give riches to the people who have written things so far too.


I'm also moving this to the Applications forum, as there may be people there helping out others who have been through clearing themselves.

[TI-84]

this would be very useful information as clearing seems like the most likely route for me now

[sweetfloss]

Originally Posted by RK

Do we need to make an offer of riches to encourage you to have a go at this?


Well we can do that We will give some riches (amount to still be decided upon, but a nice number) for anyone who can help us out here with their experiences of clearing.

We'll also give riches to the people who have written things so far too.


I'm also moving this to the Applications forum, as there may be people there helping out others who have been through clearing themselves.

Yay!!!

[Clefeen]

Some good experiences!

A happy ending can happen it seems.

[cooksey]

Two years ago I went through Clearing. I did pretty well in my GCSEs, ok in my AS exams and was predicted BCC for A-Levels. After going to interviews I got offers from Reading (BBC) and Sheffield (BBB), so I put Sheffield firm and Reading as insurance. During the exams I could never get around to revising (to this day I've never done a single bit of revision for anything, I've since found out that it's likely that I have a form of ADD), so naturally I did terribly in my exams and come results day I got CEE, so obviously way below either offer.

We'd been told, in numerous lectures at school, all about the Clearing process in case we didn't meet our offers, and I was already anticipating going into Clearing, so I had bought a copy of the Independent on my way to school and had a look through and highlighted courses I would be interested in on the bus. So after getting my results I went to the careers office at school where the careers guy was in to help people get through Clearing (there were only 3 or 4 of us, I went to a Grammar School) so he had all the prospectuses and big books of courses and whatnot so we could look up the requirements for each course (and lower them a bit for Clearing), so we calculated my UCAS points, with my 2 AS grades as well, got my shortlist down to 3 or 4 unis, so I called them all up, gave them all my details, UCAS number, points, grades etc. and they all said that they would be happy to accept me on the courses. The whole process only took about an hour and a half, and to be honest wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be. I probably could have waited a few days to decide what I wanted to do, and that might have been helpful as it turns out, but I wanted to get it all over and done with, plus I had some help from the careers guy at school. So a few days later I got my Clearing passport, I ended up choosing Portsmouth, so I applied, and sent it off. But then a few weeks later I decided that I didn't actually want to go to uni that year, so I withdrew my application from Portsmouth, which I recall being pretty easy, but I can't remember exactly how I did it; it may have been different if I had waited a few days before going through Clearing, but I have no regrets. I ended up taking 2 gap years; working in one, travelling in the other. And now I've got 3 offers from good unis, partly (at least I think) based on my personal statement and experience gained in my gap years.

[lazza]

A happy tale...

I was applying on Route B entry to CSMs fashion course. I had good marks and was working at distinction for foundation. But I was rejected. The problem with route B is a 2nd choice college is generally not a good one, and I'd put down Westminster (a 1st choice only college) and it automatically went through as rejection

So I talked to my tutors. I was offered a place on the spot from Ravensbourne but I didn't want to do my degree there. So my tutor called up westminster and asked if there was any way of seeing my portfolio

Now luckily there was an admin messup. The course wasn't officially full and was going through to clearing. I had an interview, got the place. Then had to send them my clearing passport when I got it through.

But yes. If you're an art student there are ways around these things rather than taking a year out. Call up colleges and find out if they have any places going through to clearing and would they consider you for interview. (It obviously helps if you have a good mark!)

[RK]

Thanks for the help to all those who have written about their clearing experiences. We've not got seven entries on the page so it's come along nicely.

I'll try to get riches sorted for those who have submitted something.

If you still want to write about your clearing experiences please do, we'll still be giving out riches for anything added before midnight tonight.

[RK]

Riches have been given out for all those who wrote something towards this article (except for the anonymous member who submitted it through the survey).


Thanks again for all your help with it.