How to apply to university through clearing

moove2london on 18 Aug 2010

UPDATE: (as of 11am on 19/08/10) The following London universities still have vacancies available on some of their degree courses. Contact the universities directly or look at the UCAS site for details:

• Queen Mary College
• Goldsmiths
• King’s College
• London Southbank University
• The London College
• London School of Commerce
• University of Greenwich
• University of East London
• Greenwich School of Management
• Kingston University
• Middlesex University
• Richmond, the American International University
• Thames Valley University
• University of Westminster
• Brunel
• Roehampton University
• Royal Veterinary College

Following on from last week’s article on What to expect as a student in London , this week we’ll be looking at the University Clearing process in time for A-level exam results which will be published tomorrow!

First of all, we wish all A-level students the very best of luck and hope that you’re successful in going to the university of your choice. If you do well, remember to cheekily send your parents the link to Exam Gifts which has a great range of treats for celebrating exam success.

So, Clearing is the process in which students are matched up with courses at universities that haven’t already been filled by other students who have achieved the necessary grade requirements to fill an offered place through the UCAS system. Be very clear on this though, this doesn’t mean that Clearing is only for those who haven’t achieved good grades as this is just not the case.

It is also for:

• Students who did not meet the UCAS deadline of 30 June, 2010, perhaps for those who only recently decided to apply to university
• For people who didn’t receive any offers through the UCAS system
• For students who have chosen to decline an offer on a course that has changed in description or length
• For students who decided to decline all the offers that they received through the UCAS system.

If you think that you’d like to apply to university through Clearing for any of the reasons above, or if you miss your grades, then the first thing you’ll want to do is pick up a copy of the Independent newspaper tomorrow morning as it has a comprehensive list of all the universities with vacancies on their courses. Please be aware that it is predicted that this year there will be much more demand placed on the Clearing system, so you really do need to get organised and get in there asap. When you’ve flicked through your copy of the Independent, take a look at the UCAS site as they will have up-to-date information on the list of vacancies available.

The next thing you’ll need to do on their site is check Track which will tell you if you’re eligible to enter the Clearing process. If you are then you’ll see the ADD CLEARING CHOICE button.

What time does Clearing open?

Clearing officially opens at 6pm on Results Day which is tomorrow, the 19th August, 2010.

It is very important that you make yourself available to talk to universities, colleges and your own school careers advisers, so if you suspect that you’ll be going through the Clearing system, then it might be best not to plan any celebrations on the evening of Results Day until after you’ve secured your place at university.

What courses/subjects can I study through the Clearing process?

The good thing about Clearing, is that you’re not limited to your own original subject choices. So long as you pick a course that is going to hold your interest for the next 3 or 4 years, then you can choose to study a differing subject within reason. Don’t be disheartened if a course you like the look of appears to be full. Keep checking back, as vacancies may appear once accepted students decide to drop out or defer their place for another year.

What should I do once I’ve found a course that I like the look of?

The next thing you should do is speak to the university or college that you would like to study at. You can actually even do this today if you like. Talk to them about the course and see if they’re willing to make you a provisional offer. Ideally you would have already visited the uni or college so that you know you like the feel of the social environment that you’ll be studying in. But if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, then use the next 24 hours to look at their website in full and see what you think. Once you’ve received a provisional offer and have made a decision that this is where you want to go, then use the ADD CLEARING CHOICE button to make your selection.

There have been various reports in the media about their being a serious lack of clearance places available this year and whilst that may be true, there will still be many students who are able to get a university place in this way, so if you’d like to be one of those, then the best tips that we can give you are:

• Be flexible in your choices
• Do your research about various courses and unis that might interest you in advance, so you don’t waste valuable time umming and aahing trying to decide what you want.
• Have a backup plan, so that if none of the courses offered to you this year are a good match, then consider taking a year out and reapplying next year

Once again, we wish everyone the best of luck and hope to see some of you at London’s fantastic universities in Freshers Week!