How exactly does Clearing work?

I applied for Nursing but didn't get in due to no nursing experience. I've already met the GCSE/A Level requirements and have another degree already so I'm not waiting on any results.

I want to try to get in for 2014 entry through Clearing, but I'm a little unsure how it works. On results day do I start ringing the universities or is contact made through ucas/email? And for courses like Nursing which have interviews, do they still have them for clearing candidates? Also how long is it roughly before spaces go?

I'm a bit anxious I'll find I wasn't quick enough and won't get in for that reason lol. I have read the ucas page on clearing but just want to clear a few things up through people who might have had first hand experience!

They generally do not ask for interviews in clearing (yet some do). If you want to do nursing your chances are next to zero. I worked on a Clearing Hotline the past 2 years and the Nursing courses we had in clearing had been filled by 07:30 (bearing in mind the Hotline opened at 07:00). These places get filled by those you had a gap year etc. and applied to late for the normal UCAS process or those who did an Access to higher learning qualification as they get their results before A Level and BTEC students do. Chances are you will not get your results untill 08:00-10:00 depending on your sixth for/college policy, by which time all the places for nursing in clearing will be gone. Even if they are not gone you have to get released from your firm/insurance if you meet their requirements before you can take up an offer in clearing, this can take a long time as Unis do not like losing students, and offers only last a limited time, ie until 09:00 the next day or an hour later on and this is not enough time for some Unis to release you.

My advice if you seriously want to do nursing, consider taking an extra year before going to Uni, get nursing experience and get into the course and Uni you want

I hope this helps

I applied for Nursing but didn't get in due to no nursing experience. I've already met the GCSE/A Level requirements and have another degree already so I'm not waiting on any results.

I want to try to get in for 2014 entry through Clearing, but I'm a little unsure how it works. On results day do I start ringing the universities or is contact made through ucas/email? And for courses like Nursing which have interviews, do they still have them for clearing candidates? Also how long is it roughly before spaces go?

I'm a bit anxious I'll find I wasn't quick enough and won't get in for that reason lol. I have read the ucas page on clearing but just want to clear a few things up through people who might have had first hand experience!