University of Surrey offers advice and reassurance on clearing.
As students receive their A-level results, the University of Surrey is saying that clearance should be a place for flexibility, rather than panic.
As students across the country receive their A-level results, the University of Surrey is encouraging people to think of clearing as an opportunity for flexibility rather than a place for panic.
Clearing is the process of matching university applicants to university places that are yet to be filled.
Peter Shelley, who is the Director of Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Surrey, explains how the system works across the country
"The process is, you have a short list of maybe three or four universities you're interested in, you ring them and you say, 'Here's the course I'm interested in. Here's the grades I achieved. Here's my UCAS number'
Those universes will say yes, we can make you an offer so you get an offer, let's say you've got three or four offers. Then you take your time and you choose which university it is you want to go to. You then apply or refer yourself through UCAS."
Shelley also described how the nature and size of clearing had dramatically changed within the last 10 years
"So 10 years ago or so at University of Surrey, we might have had a hundred 200 students coming through clearing, this year we'll probably have seven or eight hundred, maybe a little more than that.
We see more and more students deciding to change their mind. So actually at clearing it's a minority of students who have not got the grades they wanted
People of my generation might have the view that clearing was for a small number of students who hadn't met the grades. That's not the case anymore. Clearing is designed to enable students to make the right choice for them.
It's become an increasingly important part of the admissions process for some very good reasons. We and other universities and UCAS want to make sure students can make the right choice for them."
Peter Shelley also says that admissions teams across the country are prepared to help students come to the right decision.
"The key message I'd say is that thousands and thousands of students come through clearing every year. University admissions teams at Surrey and every other university in the UK are set up to support students.
We're very familiar with doing it, so ring up, get those offers, ask any questions that you have and admissions teams across the UK are here to help today."