Clearing...
Homepage » For Students » Clearing For those who don’t make the grades or haven’t applied through the normal UCAS channels, the Clearing process gives you a further opportunity to find a suitable university placement. Clearing is a highly efficient process that places well over 30,000 students in little over a month between mid August and mid September. So, if you don’t make the grades don’t panic! You are eligible for Clearing if:
If you are eligible for Clearing, UCAS will send you what is known as a Clearing passport which is essentially a form you use to secure a place. The Clearing Passport carries an Clearing number which identifies you to any University or College to which you apply. If the university you have applied to decides to offer you a place, they will then ask you to send them your Clearing Passport. At this stage you are dealing directly with the institution concerned so do not sent this to UCAS. Although some candidates may find the Clearing process a little stressful, for others its actually quite exciting. Whereas the normal UCAS application process drags on for months Clearing is, for most applicants, all sorted within a couple of weeks. The key is to get organised quickly and gather as much information as you can from as many sources as possible. The primary source is www.UCAS.com which advertises all the courses available through Clearing, but you will also find this information published in the Independent. If this doesn’t sound like too much of a contradiction in terms Clearing is something of an organized free for all! You can apply for as many courses as you wish at any University that takes your fancy. However, beware of letting your heart rule your head! Consult school or college advisors, friends and family and spend time looking through University websites for information about, courses as well as accommodation and the local area. Draw up a short list and then get working! Phone, email or even better visit in person, as popular universities will attract many applications and places can be snapped up fast. Institutions will ask you about your exam results and why you're interested in them and their course: it will be a like a mini-interview. If a university offers you a place, they'll ask you to send them confirmation by way of a signed Clearing Passport. If you've applied to a number of universities, think carefully before you send it off because only one university can consider your application at a time. If you're not careful you could find yourself unable to pursue a course you're more interested in if you've already sent your Passport elsewhere. So give it a few days and chase your first-choice university for a reply before sending the Passport anywhere else. Once you've accepted a place and confirmed this with the university, the university will inform UCAS, and UCAS will write to you in final confirmation. You will then have committed yourself to that university and can no longer apply elsewhere. This may seem to force you into a big commitment, but the system simply wouldn't work if students confirmed places, only then to change their minds. This is why it's so important to think carefully before you finally commit. If you are offered a place, but decide not to accept it, your Passport will be returned so you can apply elsewhere
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It is essential that you are available in person during Clearing and that summer holidays are planned around your exam results. Make sure you talk to your parents about this well in advance! Clearing is a time for clear thinking and decisive decision making.
