University clearing - SOAS

Hello I’m feeling anxious about my alevels and I’m wondering how clearing works at SOAS, as I don’t know much about the process. I’ve been given an offer of BBB, but in the case I don’t get that, what is the minimum needed to get in through clearing? Because some have said you need BBB to get in through clearing (or whatever offer is) but others have said they tend to lower the offer, and I’m just wondering what is accurate. Also, in clearing, does it work on a ucas points based scale? Like for example, if I got AAD, or ABC, would they let me in through clearing as it matches the 120 ucas points? I know no one can say for sure but I’m just wondering if anyone has any ideas

Do you currently have an offer from SOAS?

Sometimes universities do accept lower grades in clearing but nobody will know until results day after they have worked out whether enough have been accepted or not. A course might or might not ended up in clearing and they may or may not drop grades.
If they have rejected you on results day a university will not accept you in clearing.
What happens in practice is universities look at their applicants and if they are going to accept students in clearing they will already have accepted those who narrowly have missed their grades. Whatever grades a university will accept in clearing they will have accepted those who firmed them with the same grades.

thank you for explaining, how come universities will not accept you in clearing if they’ve rejected you the day of? if there’s a possibility they lower their grades

The first thing universities do is look at the numbers who have met their grades. If they then have spaces they look at students who missed their grades and look to use them to fill their numbers. It is only after this a university goes into clearing. Say on results day there are 20 places unfiled then they will decide how low they can go. If they decide they can accept grade BCC they look at the students who have achieved that and only then if there are still vacancies do they enter clearing. They wont accept anybody in clearing below what they have accepted from their firm applicants.
From a university's view they want certainty and know if they accept students who have firmed them then they have filled a place. Going into clearing there is a chance that place might not be filled and empty places mean money for the university. The rate of dropout is higher in clearing applicants than those who wanted to go there. It is in the university's interest to take those who want to go there before clearing students.
Most universities accept students with dropped grades but it is dependent on results and so cannot really be definite.

Apologies for so many questions - i appreciate you explaining, I am the oldest in my family so nobody really knows how uni works. when you say “If they then have spaces they look at students who missed their grades and look to use them to fill their numbers”, does this mean those who firmed the uni but didn’t get the grades? if so, in my case, my firmed offer of BBB, in the case of me “missing their grades”, in what way would they look to my lower grades first? in the case i got BCC?

First they look at students with BBB. If there still spaces they look at BBC then if still room BCC if they decide to go lower. The wont accept a clearing student with BCC or BCD before you with BCC. It isnt in their interest. What nobody can tell is what grades they will accept until results day as that all depends on numbers. What tends to happen in practice is that universities end up accepting a drop of 1 or 2 grades sometimes more and most courses end up in clearing because they dont get filled.
This doesnt apply to the very top universities or particularly competitive courses in Health but usually a BBB course ends up with some flexibility.

That makes perfect sense 🙂 thank you. In this case, are students with higher - but not met - grades prioritised? I know you mentioned BBC before BCC, but as in, say someone gets A*CC, as in ucas points it = BBB, would they be looked at first?

That makes perfect sense 🙂 thank you. In this case, are students with higher - but not met - grades prioritised? I know you mentioned BBC before BCC, but as in, say someone gets A*CC, as in ucas points it = BBB, would they be looked at first?

Hello I’m feeling anxious about my alevels and I’m wondering how clearing works at SOAS, as I don’t know much about the process. I’ve been given an offer of BBB, but in the case I don’t get that, what is the minimum needed to get in through clearing? Because some have said you need BBB to get in through clearing (or whatever offer is) but others have said they tend to lower the offer, and I’m just wondering what is accurate. Also, in clearing, does it work on a ucas points based scale? Like for example, if I got AAD, or ABC, would they let me in through clearing as it matches the 120 ucas points? I know no one can say for sure but I’m just wondering if anyone has any ideas