A Clearing Guide for Parents and Supporters
Want to get to grips with Clearing but not sure where to start? We've broken down the basics so you can best support your young person through the process.
Leading up to results day
Being as informed as possible and helping your young person to be well prepared will help everyone keep calm and positive on what can be a stressful day for some.
Before results day it's a good idea to encourage your young person to keep checking their application for updates and reply to any offers. Make sure all their contact details are correct so they don't miss any communication.
Although you want to hope for the best, it's important to talk about a back up plan with your young person. Check what grades they need to get into their first choice and discuss with them other options (universities, courses, colleges) that they would consider. It's good to prepare a list of questions they might want to ask potential universities, so they're ready with these if the time comes.
Prior research will make it a far easier on the day. Courses that might be available can be found via the UCAS Clearing search tool before the day. It's worth taking a look at all their resources and guides to find out more.
Results
Results day can cause a lot of heightened emotion, so it's important not to panic, stay calm, and don't rush into any decisions.
If they are collecting results, they will have been informed by their school or college the times and how to do this. UCAS and their university choices won’t share exam results with them. Once they have their results its also important to check their UCAS Hub to see the status of their offer, and if their place has been confirmed.
Potentially, their results might not be what they'd hoped for but finding a place through Clearing can open up a wide range of opportunities for them.
What is Clearing?
Clearing allows applicants to shop around for university places yet to be filled. It’s available to anyone who's made a UCAS undergraduate application (or is about to) and has their qualification results, but doesn’t hold any offers.
Courses available aren’t just those left over, there can be a huge mix of opportunities and applicants are increasingly using the process to their advantage. It opens on 5 July and remains open until mid-October, however many courses start teaching in September so applying by mid-September is recommended.
Most places will have information about Clearing on their website, including a specific Clearing number to call (this might not be published until results day) or a live chat function on their website to discuss options for your young person. It has to be your young individual that has the conversation, however, not you. You can support them by their side with pen and paper, researching on your laptop or phone, and offering advice.
Check they have their Clearing number, UCAS personal ID and a list of qualifications and exam results.
It's also vital you make sure you have good phone signal and internet connection.
You can find more details on Clearing on the UCAS website.
Options
If your future student doesn’t gain the results they need, the obvious option might be Clearing. However, keep other options in mind, whether this be a gap year, work experience, applying to complete further studies or considering degree apprenticeships.
Decision making
The Clearing process can make you feel pressured to make decisions quickly. It’s important that students take their time to consider the pros and cons of each choice. As well as the course itself, highlight areas you think might be worth checking, e.g. travel to the university, accommodation, student support, etc. There are visits to the campus available after results day so you can explore together to check it’s the right place for them and ask any further questions.
Remind them that clearing call centres, including the Winchester team, are there to support students finding their ideal university place. We will do everything we can to make that happen in a friendly and positive way.
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