No matter what happens on results day, you still have a bright future ahead of you. Here are 10 tips for you to consider when going through the Clearing process.
- Research & Be Prepared
The more you do to prepare by thinking about your options in advance the better off you will be on the day. Have a research of universities and courses that you might be interested in if you don’t get the results you expect.
- Have a look at the Clearing 2019 listings
Clearing opens on 5 July 2019 and you can view any current vacancies on the UCAS website from then onwards. Vacancies may will be listed, but some will not be published until the morning of A-level results day 2019 (15 August).
- Consider somewhere quiet
Make sure that you call from a place where you feel comfortable and relaxed with easy access to phone and the Internet. If you can get home easily it might be best to make your calls from there, where there is more peace and quiet and you have everything to hand. If not, speak with your head of year/faculty and see if they know of anywhere quiet to use on the day
- Have your details to hand
Have the following information to hand during your call to universities:
- The phone number for the university and your own contact details
- Your Clearing number from UCAS Track
- Your A-level, AS-level, GCSE and equivalent results, including module marks
- Personal statement from your UCAS application
- Your log-in details for Track
- Your notes on the course and university and any planned responses to questions
- Any questions you want to ask them
- If you’ve called the university before, the name and details of anyone you have spoken to
5. Make the Clearing call yourself
THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE! Treat the Clearing call like a job application. You’ll need to make the call yourself – don’t ask your teachers, parents or anyone else to do it for you. The university will be unable to talk to them because they are not allowed to discuss your application with others. You might feel a bit nervous about phoning, but remember universities are friendly and want to help.
You can always have someone you fell comfortable with to sit in the room with you if you want, but it HAS to be you who makes the call.
6. Take notes
Make sure that you have a pen and paper at hand so that you can write down information as you go along. Especially if you’re making a lot of phone calls to different institutions, it’s easy to get confused or forget something important.
Keeping job titles, dates and times noted as well as a summary of what you said and what they said is also a good idea. This will make it easier to get back in direct contact should you need to.
7. Think of constructive questions
Clearing isn’t just an opportunity to see if you are right for their university, but also for you to work out if they are the right choice for you.
Query what entitlement to accommodation and bursaries you have as a Clearing applicant, as this can vary from university to university. You might also want to ask about open days and opportunities to visit the university so that you can have a look around.
Asking questions makes you look keen, inquisitive and motivated!
8. Request e-mail confirmation
If the university decides to give you a verbal offer, ask them to confirm their offer and how long it stands for via email. This will ensure that there is no room for misinterpretation, and if there are any problems later with your Clearing choice not being accepted by the university then you have written evidence to support your claims.
9. Be persistent and flexible
If at first you don’t succeed… keep trying. Even if you have an offer already you can still continue to call universities to receive more offers and then decide which of these you wish to add as your Clearing choice on UCAS Track.
You are more likely to be successful in finding a place in Clearing if you are flexible and consider similar courses to the one you originally applied for. Check the course content carefully to see if it interests you and what options you have to change to a single honours course later.
10. Add a Clearing choice within the allotted time
You can only enter a Clearing choice on Track after 3pm on A-level results day (15 August 2019). In addition, most universities will give you a time period, typically 12 to 48 hours, for which their offer is valid. If you enter a Clearing choice after this period has passed then the university may reject you.
It is very important that you only enter a Clearing choice on Track if you have spoken to the university or college and they have provisionally offered you a place on the course.
As usual, good luck. The world is your oyster!
The CrimiTalk 
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