Clearing: What you need to know
We've spoken to the University of Essex to get all the information you need
As students across Essex and the rest of the country receive their A-level, T-level and BTEC results this morning, the University of Essex have shared their advice, tips and information with Greatest Hits Radio, to help those who are entering clearing to make today as easy and stress-free as possible.
Rebecca Keeble, is Head of UK Recruitment at the University, and has shared everything you need to know this morning.
What is clearing?
Clearing opened last month for those who wish to either change their university, or those who didn't get into their first or insurance choices, to speak with people to select a new university and course.
There are thousands of clearing places at universities across the country open today.
"So clearing itself in its simplest form is where universities seek to fill any remaining places that they might have on their courses. It's a process where students can apply directly to the university. So typically, in university applications, students apply online through UCAS. During the clearing period, it's a little bit different - students can apply directly to different universities."
Who can apply for clearing?
"Clearing itself is used by a wide range of students, so the kind of typical clearing is considered by those who perhaps haven't received the grades that they were hoping for, but actually lots of other students access clearing.
"So students who might have achieved higher grades than they were expecting on results day. Sometimes students may have simply changed their mind so they might be thinking about a different course or a different university despite holding an offer somewhere else.
"Some students apply through clearing for the very first time, so perhaps weren't thinking about university earlier in the year, or sometimes there results may give them the confidence that they would like to pursue a university degree so they can make those applications. And those are all absolutely legitimate reasons for accessing clearing."
What happens once I've got my results?
"Once the student has received their results, they'll be able to log into their UCAS track if they have applied via UCAS, and that's where they'll be able to see their decisions. So hopefully for students who have made a UCAS application, they'll have an accept decision showing on their portal
"If they haven't been accepted into their first choice university, they'll automatically be considered by their insurance choice university. So some short students may see an accept decision from their insurance choice.
"For students who have unfortunately not been accepted into their first and second choices, the UCAS portal will indicate that they are in clearing, and that means that students are then able and they are encouraged to contact universities and make those clearing applications. But students can, and even if they are holding 1st and insurance choice offers, go ahead and make clearing applications as well. So students can go ahead and make those.
"In some instances, students might be able to receive an offer there and then on the phone, so I really nice experience to speak to an advisor and to receive their offer if they're not able to be made that offer over the phone, universities will normally get back to students within 24 hours, so it's a really quick process and that's quite reassuring for students that they will have their decisions nice and quickly from them.
"Students will then need to decide of those clearing offers, which ones they would like to accept, and they can do that through their UCAS portal.
"But all of the universities will communicate instructions to students via e-mail, so it always good just to make sure they're keeping an eye on that inbox and following any of the instructions and the prompts that they're receiving."
How can my results impact my decision?
"I think for students feel like this one envelope is going to dictate your future and that's not true - there's so many opportunities out there and clearing is really an excellent opportunity for students to really explore their options.
"Sometimes students might get a different subject mix than they were hoping for or were expecting, so they might have performed really well in a subject that they love but weren't expecting to do so. And that might mean that actually they can go on and study that university when they were perhaps playing it safe, for instance, so it really does allow students to explore their options and shop around, and that's really nice to see.
"We want students to do that."
Does looking at clearing options affect the offer I'm holding?
"Clearing as well, it doesn't affect your offer that you're holding so students can hold a university offer as well as calling round other institutions and seeing what else might be available to them. So, it doesn't affect their place and students shouldn't worry about taking a look around and exploring all of those different options."
It's been a tough few years - is that taken into account by universities?
"My advice would be for students just to try to remain calm and have faith in the fact that universities are very aware of the challenges our young people have faced in recent years. We know how hard students have worked and we know that there has been some really unprecedented challenges.
"The effects of the pandemic are still trickling down, and we take that into account when we make our offers. Certainly at Essex, we try to be as flexible as we can be. It's not always just about those grades that you receive on that bit of paper and some of our courses interview and that's a really important part of the application process.
"We will always look at personal statements, references, to really get a full picture of who the student is because we're seeking out their potential, we wanting to admit students to the university, who are going to really thrive on the course and do well in their graduate employment and their life ahead as well. Students that are gonna take the opportunities that are really life changing and transformational that you get at university. So we will try to be as flexible as we can taking into account any extenuating circumstances. So students, please do make universities aware of those so they can always be considered.
"We will also try to consider other course change options as well, so it's not always cut and dry. If we can't offer a student a place on their first choice course, we might look at other courses that we could offer to them. We also have a range of excellent foundation programmes and number of universities across the UK have the same so these are really good opportunities to enter the university environment and start living that transformational experience and to upscale and to increase their academic knowledge so they can really thrive on the course when they start the three-year programme.
"So lots of options remain and universities are there to support students and advise them and and just to retain that flexibility."
What about accommodation? Am I offered on-campus options?
"That's something that universities can help with and we can try to reassure students and to talk students through their options. It differs from university to university as to what they might be able to offer in terms of accommodation.
"At the University of Essex, we have an accommodation guarantee. So as long as students apply by the 1st of September, they're guaranteed on campus accommodation for their first year. So we try to work really hard to make sure that we have that in place so that students who do come through clearing are not limited in the accommodation choices that they make and we've extended that deadline as long as we can so that students have flexibility and have time to put those applications in place.
"We also run a range of clearing specific events, so clearing open days and clearing virtual events if students want to explore the university from the comfort of their own home. Just to make sure that just because the student had applied through clearing, they're not going to be unfamiliar with the university, they're not going to miss out on the opportunities to meet current staff, meet current students.
"We don't want students to feel like they're making a rushed and an uninformed decision. We want students to still be able to take their time to have all of the relevant information and to be happy and excited to join us."
Do I need to send universities my documents, like a personal statement?
"If a student has applied through UCAS, once they enter the clearing process, then they released themselves officially into the clearing process on the portal and then they refer themselves on the UCAS portal to the university that they've chosen in doing so, the UCAS portal will refer across all of the documents and all of the qualifications that the student has submitted in their earlier application.
"So it's a really streamlined process, and by having that central portal, it means that it does make it a fairly quick and easy process for both the students and for the university, and making sure that we have everything that we need as well.
"If a student hasn't applied through UCAS earlier in the year, then they apply through clearing and they accept their offer directly with the university and not via that UCAS portal. And again, the university will just work really closely with the student and we'll request any further documents or information that they may require.
"But we are very well rehearsed in clearing, clearing in a level results days happen every year is a really busy time, but we have 12 months to prepare. We work really hard to make sure it is seamless and that students can then use that following month to prepare to start at university and not to have to worry about any of the paperwork and admin side. So we tried to get that tied up nicely and quickly and then students can start to get excited about their accommodation. They can join webinars and events to learn more about what to pack.
"We have lots of WhatsApp groups. These students can start to meet those who are going to be joining them on their first day and prepare for welcome week and freshers events. So all of those bits of around university that are quite exciting and we want students to get engrossed in once they have that offer in place."