Ask a student who went through Clearing!

Hi there! I have several questions about the clearing process. I applied for Chemical Engineering and I am an International Baccalaureate (IB) student, so my results were released on 5 July. My scores fell just below the conditions of both my firm and insurance, both asking for a 6/7 in Higher Level Mathematics (I scored 5/7). However, after contacting my firm university I was told that they would notify me of their decision on A-Level results day (15 Aug) since I am a "near miss" applicant. Since then I have looked at the possible clearing courses should my firm university reject me.

I applied for Chemical Engineering but the Clearing course I am interested in is Chemistry. Would it be advisable to prepare a different personal statement?

At what time on results day will I be notified of my firm university's decision? In your experience, was this early or later during the day?

My current score qualifies me for Chemistry in some great universities. In the case that my firm university takes some time to notify me of their decision and I enter clearing the next day (16 Aug), will it harm my chances of getting accepted by any of these unis?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi so I'm a bit confused, if I want to go through clearing I get my clearing number on results day and not before right?

Should I phone unis to see whether the courses I want will be in clearing, for example Uni of Bham have a list on their website of what might be on clearing but I want ti make sure.

Hi so I'm a bit confused, if I want to go through clearing I get my clearing number on results day and not before right?

Should I phone unis to see whether the courses I want will be in clearing, for example Uni of Bham have a list on their website of what might be on clearing but I want ti make sure.

Hi there! I have several questions about the clearing process. I applied for Chemical Engineering and I am an International Baccalaureate (IB) student, so my results were released on 5 July. My scores fell just below the conditions of both my firm and insurance, both asking for a 6/7 in Higher Level Mathematics (I scored 5/7). However, after contacting my firm university I was told that they would notify me of their decision on A-Level results day (15 Aug) since I am a "near miss" applicant. Since then I have looked at the possible clearing courses should my firm university reject me.

I applied for Chemical Engineering but the Clearing course I am interested in is Chemistry. Would it be advisable to prepare a different personal statement?

At what time on results day will I be notified of my firm university's decision? In your experience, was this early or later during the day?

My current score qualifies me for Chemistry in some great universities. In the case that my firm university takes some time to notify me of their decision and I enter clearing the next day (16 Aug), will it harm my chances of getting accepted by any of these unis?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You won't get your Clearing number until you're actually in Clearing, and that won't happen until you are rejected by your unis (if you are) or you reject them. To be in Clearing you need to hold no offers, so if you are waiting for A level results at the moment, you won't get your Clearing number until August 15th

should i call up the unis that I'm looking at now to ask about courses?

Once you’ve been offered a clearing place and added them as a choice in track how long does it normally take the university to confirm your place on track?

That depends on the university - anything from an hour or so to 48 hours (or sometimes a bit longer if you add them at 5pm on Friday and there's no one in with access to weblink over the weekend).
As long as you tell them your results and qualifications clearly over the phone and meet the deadlines for adding a choice it should all be fine. If your qualifications are unusual (including if you have BTECs which confuse some of the most experienced admissions staff and half the people teaching them!) then ask the university to email to confirm what qualifications they've listed for you (and make sure that you read out the EXACT title of the qualification and exam board of anything more complex than A levels)

How do you get over the fact that you didn't make the uni you chose? I feel so demoralised not having made the grades. Although somehow managed to get a place through clearing for Southampton electrical and electronics (with actual requirements of A*AA). I feel like I got it by fluke and don't deserve it.
Also, how long did it take for you to come to terms with being in a university you didn't intend to go to?

If you have a question about your Firm or Insurance choices, Clearing or other UCAS-related issues then please ask your question HERE or post in the A Level Results Day FAQ or Clearing and Adjustment FAQ threads.

Hi guys!

I'm Cheese I'm a Vegetable and I went through Clearing to get my University place studying Chemistry at the University of Southampton

This thread is here to answer any of your questions about going through Clearing, what it is, any worries you have or just any questions about University in general

The amazing @Airmed (who has worked on a clearing hotline twice) and the ever so helpful @harrysbar have also agreed to lend a hand with answering any of your questions! Please feel free to tag any of us, we don't bite ( much )! @Bio7 was also super helpful last year and so may be able to help out!



There are loads more of these threads which you can find listed below. They are for different subjects and different Universities so please take a look!

If you would also like to offer a helping hand, just let us know!

Useful Links:
What is Clearing? How does it work and what are the steps?
University Clearing Vacancy lists
Clearing Threads and Help from Universities Themselves
Last year's thread!
UCAS's new "release from firm directly into clearing button" FAQs

The Steps of Going Through Clearing:
Step 1: on results day both firm and insurance uni choices reject you. Or you may have released yourself into clearing after careful consideration that you no longer wish to go to your firm/insurance options and that another opportunity has been found better suited to you!
You are in clearing and are given a clearing number.

Step 2: phone up unis you want to apply to and see if you can get a place. This involves stating your clearing number, name, phone number and grades and saying why you want to go to said uni/do said course.

Step 3: if they offer you a place, consider it and wait for an email with confirmation of a place for which you can apply to using UCAS. If successful skip to 5.

Step 4: if unsuccessful repeat step 2-3.

Step 5: consider all places offered by researching and doing a pro/con list for each. Then enter your chosen uni + course into UCAS using your clearing number after you have confirmation of a place being offered by a uni.

Step 6: time to celebrate aka pizza time, u earned it you're off to Uni

Personal story time.

I'm Swansea born and bred, Swansea University alumni and now work here. But Swansea wasn't actually my first choice! I'd targeted a university with higher requirements, and honestly not necessarily for all of the right reasons. There was girl back then that I liked who was planning to do the same

Results day came, and while very respectable, my results instead saw me coming to my insurance choice - Swansea University, the university down the road. I was gutted... for about the amount of time between results day and a week before moving into halls. I moved into my accommodation, quickly made some really good friends who I later lived with (seriously, freshers is an almost surreal experience with how easy it is to meet people), and almost immediately forgot how much I was convinced going to the other university was critical to me only a few months prior. I did well with my studies thanks to some great support (a hospital stay with pneumonia hit me in the first year that saw the university help me recover while keeping me on track), grew enormously as a person and have honestly never regretted my unintended time as a student here - and I can promise you that if that wasn't true I wouldn't have pushed to be here now as the person representing us on this forum!

In short, your feelings are entirely natural, and will likely vanish very quickly. I've been there!

Jamie

That's actually such a similar story, thanks for sharing. Everything feels rushed and scarier since you anticipated knowing someone going with you (the girl you mentioned e.g)

So I went through clearing and put the university I wanted down after I called them on the phone.

How long do I have to wait for the decision?
It says university is currently considering your application.
I already got the email saying they gave me an offer after I called them yesterday.

So how long does it take before I’m officially accepted.
I really want to relax and go on but I can’t but be a bit scared that I’ve done something wrong. If I did and I have to do it again there will be no more spaces at good unis so I’m kind of stressed out.

So what’s like the average wait time?
And when would I get any information telling me when I’ll start uni and stuff like that?

Which university is it? The answer is essentially from here that all of that will happen very quickly, but perhaps the university in question has some representation on here to give you the specifics.

Jamie

It’s Warwick and I really hope it get it by today.

I think I’m going to call them later if it hasn’t just to make sure everything’s all right.

I didn't go through Clearing but have worked twice on a Clearing helpline