UCAS CLEARING

1. UCAS CLEARING How does it work? Who is it for? Roger Gould Lancaster University

2. This information should be used in addition to the UCAS website information on Clearing and Extra, and not as a replacement for it.

3. AN OVERVIEW OF CLEARING (and Extra) for teachers and students

4. WHAT IS CLEARING? • A system for matching candidates with no place and HE courses with last-minute vacancies in August • Clearing takes place from the day the Advanced results are released in August • Clearing can last from a few minutes to a few weeks – depending on how quickly the places are filled

5. HOW DO STUDENTS END UP IN CLEARING? • Student has made application to universities via UCAS • Universities have made offers or rejected applicant If student is made offers, final 2 offers held as: CF (conditional FIRM) = 1st choice, or CI (conditional INSURANCE) = 2nd choice

6. HOW DO STUDENTS END UP IN CLEARING? • By definition, it’s harder to get an offer for a popular course – that’s why the grades are high! You might not receive an offer • Applicants with NO offers can use UCAS Extra from March and if this proves unsuccessful, Clearing is the final option • In addition, applicants with CF & CI offers who do not achieve the required grades will be able to use Clearing

7. WHAT IS CLEARING? Negatives: • A decision is made on the basis of a short phone call • Likelihood of dropping out might be marginally increased

8. WHAT IS CLEARING? Positives • Students can feel successful and move o • Little evidence to show a strong relationship between entry grades and degree outcome for any student • Universities treat students who arrive through Clearing exactly the same as any student, once there

9. Options before Clearing If you do not receive any offers you can use UCAS Extra from March - June

10. UCAS EXTRA How does it work?

11. EXTRA A system for giving candidates with no offers additional choices without waiting for Clearing Candidates are eligible when: • they have used all 5 choices • they hold no offers - rejected or declined by candidate • Extra starts in March and continues until June

12. EXTRA Extra is available from mid-March: • UCAS will put an Extra button on the Track screen if applicant is eligible. • Extra needs careful consideration, flexibility and advice! • If original application was for very competitive courses, now might consider applying for something less over-subscribed.

13. HOW DOES EXTRA WORK? • Candidate chooses 1 course from the Course Search list, using the Extra button on the Track screen • If made a conditional offer, can accept or decline it • If accepted, it effectively becomes CF and Extra • ends. If declined, you get another choice (if there is time) • If candidate then misses grades, Clearing is automatic

14. EXTRA NEEDS CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, FLEXIBILITY AND ADVICE! Many universities are willing to have contact with candidates before they are made an Extra choice. Candidates could ask a university to look at a paper copy of the UCAS application, and to indicate the likelihood of being made an offer via Extra. This can speed the process, and save the candidate from having to wait to be considered by a university which then rejects them Once an applicant has an Extra offer, it is CF – so the place can be confirmed when exam results are published.

15. CLEARING: HOW DO CANDIDATES END UP THERE? Candidate ends up with no offers (having used Extra) Candidate declines offers in original cycle • Candidate fails to achieve CF or CI grades • Entry to Clearing is automatic. UCAS will send CEF (Clearing Entry Form) through the post.

16. CLEARING: HOW DO CANDIDATES END UP THERE? • Candidate gets results, assumes rejection, looks on UCAS or in national newspapers and starts dialling - and Clearing hotlines go into meltdown, just confirming places on the actual grades achieved • Candidate can access decisions on UCAS Track. Easiest way to confirm Unconditional Firm or Rejection

17. CLEARING: HOW DO UNIVERSITIES DECIDE? • Results arrive a few days before publication/school • ‘CF’ careful confirmation process happens: course asks for ABB, but if too few CF candidates achieve ABB, will the university then confirm candidates with BBB? BBC? • ‘CI’ institutions notified of results and they confirm to UCAS if possible – same deadline for decisions

18. CLEARING: HOW DO UNIVERSITIES DECIDE? Applicant sees results, assumes rejection from CF and probably from CI and starts dialling… Applicant can access decisions on Track. Easiest way to confirm UF or R

19. WHAT CAUSES DELAYS IN DECISION-MAKING? • Waiting for a result e.g. GCSE or a grade from exam board • Combined offers: grades are good for one half but not the other (e.g. Business + French = ABB. You got BCC. French might take you; Business won’t.) • ‘CF’ (or ‘CI’) might make a changed course offer (e.g. Single Hons French, which asks for BBC but will look in Clearing for BCC applicants)

20. WHAT CAUSES DELAYS IN DECISION-MAKING? • Institutions understand it is a stressful time and try to move quickly – but by definition the problem cases take longer to resolve. • While applicant is still being considered, there’s hope.

21. WHY WON’T THE CF UNIVERSITY REJECT APPLICANT SO THEY CAN GO TO THE CI CHOICE? • the ‘CF’ institution is entirely in the driving seat: may be reluctant to reject a good candidate who just missed the grades • better to choose 10 missed-grade ‘CFs’ (who made you 1st choice) or ‘CIs’ than take 10 Clearing applicants who put you neither 1st nor 2nd - we know ‘CF’ applicant would like to come to us!

22. CHOOSING: SOME CAUSES OF DELAYS ‘CI’: will make its decision on academic basis but this won’t be communicated to applicant unless/until ‘CF’ rejects • Candidate telephone frustration: “but they’ve told me I’ve definitely been rejected by my ‘CF’ !” • (Have they looked at Track? Might show ‘CF’ / ’UI’) • Updated by UCAS mid-morning – keep checking

23. CHOOSING: SOME CAUSES OF DELAYS • University says ‘you can hold a provisional offer from us but we cannot confirm in writing’ until: • the applicant’s UCAS form arrives from UCAS (on screen) • the applicant’s ‘CEF’ arrives (original not a copy) from applicant

24. CLEARING: WHEN SHOULD TEACHER INTERVENE? • Candidate is too distraught to ring • You have useful (new) 3rd party knowledge e.g. domestic • You have knowledge of candidate’s strengths • You have a good relationship with university/course • There is a special case to be argued

25. CLEARING: WHEN SHOULD TEACHER INTERVENE? But: University quite likely to ask for details in writing Might not speed up process much - but could pacify parents! Can be useful to develop a relationship with Admissions Tutor beforehand, to avoid Clearing hotlines where possible

26. SO YOU’RE GOING TO NEED CLEARING… Q&A for students and basic advice

27. USING THE CLEARING SYSTEM: THE DON’T PANIC! GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME… Clearing is a system that starts when your results are published. It aims to let universities fill last-minute vacancies with students who might have missed the grades or points required by their CF/CI choices. ADVICE: The only guaranteed way of getting your place on the course you’ve chosen, at the university you most want to attend – and, in fact, the easiest way, is to attain the grades you’ve been asked to get.

28. USING THE CLEARING SYSTEM: THE DON’T PANIC! GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME… • Clearing is a stressful and potentially unreliable method for finding a course to study – and if you can avoid Clearing by doing the work to get the grades, you should! • ADVICE: Clearing lasts about one week – but many universities are out of clearing within hours or a day or so – as soon as they have filled their vacancies. You will need to be well-organised to be successful in Clearing.  

29. WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING? • Universities make their decisions about who to accept and who to reject when viewing the August results. They will post their decisions on each candidate’s Track space on www.ucas.com - look there first. • UF means you have got your first- choice place; • UI means your insurance choice will accept you.

30. WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING? If you get the grades required by your CF institution, they will accept you. If you miss the grades, they are likely to reject you, in which case your CI will accept you, unless your final results are too far below this institution’s requirements too.

31. WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING? • Universities need to fill their places. • So, for example, if a particular subject asks for BBB they may find that not enough applicants attained BBB to fill every place. • They may decide to accept some applicants with BBC grades in order to fill the last few places, rather than go into Clearing. • If they still have places after all their BBC students have been accepted, they may look at applicants who have BCC – or they may choose to put those final places into Clearing, in the hope of finding candidates with BBB grades.

32. WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING? ADVICE • Don’t rely on a subject accepting you if your grades are close to, but below the offer you’re holding. • Universities are generally good at making the right number of offers for the number of students they wish to admit.

33. HOW DO I END UP IN CLEARING? • By your grades or points being too far below the offers you have been made, and by being rejected by both your CF and your CI institutions. • If you have been rejected through the UCAS system, you will automatically enter Clearing.

34. HOW WILL I KNOW? By looking at UCAS Track. Universities pass their decisions electronically to UCAS, and UCAS posts them on its website. ADVICE: The UCAS website is updated from mid- morning every day, so if Track is not complete it will be because a university has not yet made its decision on you. Keep checking.

35. HOW WILL I KNOW? Once both institutions have rejected you, you are in Clearing and will be sent a Clearing Entry Form (CEF) by post from UCAS. ADVICE: You will need your CEF later, but you should not wait for it to arrive before finding a place through Clearing.

36. IF I DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR DECISION TO REJECT ME, CAN I APPEAL TO AN INSTITUTION TO THINK AGAIN? Admissions staff think very carefully about each decision – they will only reject you if they are definitely unable to accept your grades. Realistically, it is very unlikely that a department will change its decision (and it might already have considered offering you an alternative course and decided not to). The chances are, it’s full anyway.

37. IF I DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR DECISION TO REJECT ME, CAN I APPEAL TO AN INSTITUTION TO THINK AGAIN? Any new and different information you have for them to consider should have been forwarded before results come out. Ask yourself if your time is not better spent trying to find a suitable Clearing place.

38. SO DO I NEED TO RING TO CONFIRM THAT I’M ACCEPTED AT MY CF OR CI? No! Clearing is for students who know that they have been rejected! Don’t assume you’ve been rejected, whatever grades you get. The UCAS Track confirmation is the way to see decisions on you, and to avoid frustrating hours on the phone…

39. IF I AM OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE COURSE AT A UNIVERSITY I APPLIED TO, DO I HAVE TO ACCEPT IT? • No. It is up to you to decide whether a changed course offer is acceptable. • Remember to look at their prospectus again. • Some institutions are very flexible about how you can combine subjects once at university – but don’t bank on this without doing the essential research: other universities are absolutely rigid in their courses.

40. WHAT IF I’M APPEALING AGAINST ONE OF MY RESULTS OR HAVING A PAPER RE-MARKED? • Universities can only make their decisions on the basis of the results you hold when they are published. • Waiting until an appeal has gone through or a paper re-marked is only possible if you pay for the very fast remark service – your examination board will have details.

41. WHAT IF I WAS ILL DURING ONE OF MY EXAMS? • Schools and colleges are asked to notify universities of any applicant who suffered from any circumstance that might affect the outcome of their examinations, so this paperwork should be with the university before results are published and it will have been taken into account before making their decision. • However, your teacher should know of anything that might have affected your grade during exams, and will know how to act on your behalf directly.

42. HOW DOES CLEARING WORK? • Once you know for certain you have been rejected by both your CF and your CI, you should look at UCAS, The Independent or the Daily Mirror, or individual universities’ websites to see which courses are available in Clearing. • Some universities will tell you the grades they require, or any conditions e.g. you must have a foreign language at grade C, or Maths, or a particular GCSE grade in addition to their general Clearing requirements. Others might simply list subject areas where they have vacancies, and will discuss grades when you ring. 

43. HOW DOES CLEARING WORK? • You will also see listed the Clearing phone numbers for each institution. These are the only numbers through to each university’s Clearing system. If you ring others you’ll just be referred back (but not put through) to the official Clearing lines. ADVICE: Don’t start ringing round until you have checked on the UCAS website to be certain you have been rejected by both your CF AND your CI. Universities will ask you if you know you are in Clearing before they discuss any courses with you.

44. WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO BEFORE I RING? • You should think carefully about the subject you wish to study at university. Just because you might have the grades required in Clearing, it doesn’t make it is the right course for you. And even if the subject is right, is the university? • These are such important decisions, affecting the next 3 or 4 years of your life (at least!) that you should do some careful (but quick) thinking and planning ahead of telephoning. You should also talk through your situation with staff in your school or college, if possible.

45. WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO BEFORE I RING? • ADVICE: find the relevant up-to-date prospectus. If the university is one you don’t know, skim through the general information to see if you would fit in, that it’s in the right location etc. Then read carefully the detailed information about the subject or course you are interested in. Does it appeal to you? Remember – course content can vary from uni to uni, even when the course titles are identical! • Recent research shows that the biggest single reason students drop out of higher education is choosing the wrong course. The second biggest is choosing the wrong institution.

46. WHAT INFORMATION WILL I BE ASKED FOR WHEN I RING? • Before you ring, you should have your UCAS number to hand so that the person dealing with you can call up your application on a computer screen. They will see where else you have applied to and for what. It is also useful to have your results slip to hand. • You are also likely to be asked to provide a piece of evidence to prove that you are who you say you are, so expect to give some personal details that you’ve provided in your UCAS application.

47. WILL THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS THE PHONE KNOW ABOUT MY APPLICATION? No. Each university organises how it handles Clearing enquiries, so you might get to talk directly to an Admissions Tutor, or a member of the general administrative staff, or possibly even a current student. They will be trained in dealing with you, and will have a series of questions to ask you. Every university will treat your call in the same way as every other enquirer’s.

48. WILL THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW I MESSED UP MY EXAMS (OR WHY IT’S NOT MY FAULT)? • No! The conversation will be about what subject you’re interested in, what Advanced subjects you have taken, and the grades or points you achieved. • If you are in Clearing and you have the grades / points required for the place you are interested in, you can be made an offer on the basis of the information you’ve provided on the phone. This will be held for you while you send your Clearing Entry Form (CEF) to that university. They will want the original form. • ADVICE: If the university is relatively local, you could ask if you can take your CEF personally, rather than use the post.

49. WHAT IF I CAN’T GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE – IF IT’S ALWAYS ENGAGED? • Keep trying and be patient! • Universities deal with each enquiry as quickly as possible, and they are aware that there are lots of people trying to get through – so it’s important that you are well prepared before you ring and that you keep your cool when you finally get through. 

50. WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER IF ONE OF MY PARENTS RANG? OR MY TEACHER? • No! The university wants to talk to you e.g. if the course you want is already full, they may be able to offer you an alternative – you need to take your own decision about your future. •  If there is a specific reason why your teacher or careers adviser should talk to a university on your behalf – in your presence – then you will be advised of this in your school or college. • ADVICE: It is important that you do not go on holiday on results day – your future will depend on you!