How soon after receiving results should I add final clearing choice on Track?

I'm trying to look at the worst case scenario here, so say I got lower grades than expected, was declined by my firm/insurance and enter clearing. I tend to take my time a lot, but I hear clearing places are first come, first serve... so how long after getting my results should I wait before I put down a clearing choice?

Obviously I will have already contacted the university etc before putting them down on Track.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

godd

Phone your firm and insurance and see if they still take you in. If the answer is no, go straight into clearing and start phoning up universities. I've unfortunately had to go through clearing and its not a pleasant experience to say the least. You have to be fast though, it's first come first serve like you said. Ideally you should have everything sorted by mid afternoon on results day. Don't leave it too late, places go and they will rarely come back.

Reply 2

Magenta96

Original post by godd

wow all the good places fill up in just a few hours?! I was hoping I'd get a day or two to decide lol. Thank you! :smile:

Reply 3

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Magenta96

Track will only open to allow you to add clearing choices from 5pm at the earliest so you should have some thinking time.

If Track says you're in clearing there's no point ringing your firm/insurance unis (unless you're getting a priority remark or want to be considered for an alternate course that is in clearing). The flow chart below explains who to ring and when.

results day flowchart

When ringing about clearing places DO ask about accommodation and how long an offer will be valid for. Ask if they've got a clearing open day over the weekend for you to visit before you decide and whether they'll hold a place for you. If they say no then at least you know where you stand :wink:

Reply 4

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by godd

Track doesn't ALLOW clearing choices to be added until 5pm - saying that everything is sorted by mid afternoon is very misleading.

Reply 5

godd

Original post by PQ

Track doesn't ALLOW clearing choices to be added until 5pm - saying that everything is sorted by mid afternoon is very misleading.

You can phone and sort out places. Once the uni confirms it, clearing is just a procedure to finalise for UCAS.

Reply 6

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by godd

You can phone and sort out places. Once the uni confirms it, clearing is just a procedure to finalise for UCAS.

Nothing is official until it is added on Track. Universities will only stop offering verbal offers if they've given out 20-30 for each place available (and even then they may well keep making verbal offers with a "first come first served at 5pm" caveat).

Courses are more likely to be removed from clearing because insurance students come through and fill up the course than because all the places "went" in clearing (unless they're only in clearing for 1/2 spaces which is increasingly unlikely in the current financial situation for universities - if you're in clearing then you're in clearing for as many as you can fit in a lecture room).