Hey there! Long time, no see. A Level results day is next week and I haven’t seen any posts on studyblr about advice specifically regarding clearing yet so thought I’d make one.
Preparation
use the UCAs search tool to search for places that are still available in clearing, but be aware that more or less places open up on results day and it constantly changes. Although also on this note don’t get too attached to a specific uni or course within clearing
the grades listed on UCAs are inflated and the grades drop quite significantly in clearing, so after you find the course also check on the actual university website on their clearing section. I know a girl who got into the Uni of Southampton for biomed (originally AAB) with BBC last year, so don’t panic if the grades of unis you’re hoping to go to seem quite high
Create a list of qualities that are important for you eg. location, career opportunities (like years abroad) and the bursaries available from all the unis you’re considering. Note down 1 favourite quality of each uni/course to talk about on the phone. It’s easier to do this in an spreadsheet
Rank the unis you’ve chosen from the ones you most like to the ones you would be fine going to and note down the clearing phone numbers and the UCAs codes of the courses you like
On the day
try to stay level headed (easier said than done) whether you check UCAs track in the morning and find out you missed your firm and insurance grades or whether receive the grades in person first. Try to schedule at least an hour either before of after ringing clearing hotlines to cry a little (or a lot) and acknowledge your grades
if possible talk to your teachers about how close you are to the next grade boundary and the next steps
Ring up the universities in order of your rankings, even if their grade requirements are above your achieved grades. Even after you receive your first offer, continue ringing down the list and try to get multiple offers
Whilst on the phone
there’s often quite a long wait (about 20-40 minutes on results day) so it’s useful to use 2 phones. I personally was facetiming a friend while making the calls which was great at calming nerves, but try to be in a quiet location you can concentrate in with good phone signal.
the people on the first line on clearing hotlines are often students themselves meant to weed out grades that are too low to enter. Unfortunately at best they only skim through your personal statement and it doesn’t particularly matter to them (in my experience) so just quote your UCAs ID, the course code + clearly state your subjects and grades achieved at A Level make sure to not forget any EPQs or BTECs as these are worth UCAs points and can make the difference.
if they say no, thank them for their time and ask if there is any other similar courses you can be considered for, if there is great often you can transfer to the course originally wanted if it’s within the same department after the first year. If not sometimes in a few days they lower the grades even more and you may be offered a place if you call up again
try to do the calling all at once, it can be quite overwhelming making the calls. But viewing it clinically as just trying to get the maximum amount of offers possible, rather than dwelling on the rejections makes it easier
be confident (fake it) and decisive, if they don’t outright reject you they may ask a few questions or offer you a place right there on the phone. Thank them and ask them to put the clearing choice on track. Unfortunately I lost a few offers by saying ‘I’m not sure’ after they offered a place, so even if you are hesitant - talk as if you’re fully intending on accepting as the place is reserved for you for around 48 hours (dependant on unis) note down the offers you have and the decision time window they give you
the clearing hotline may either transfer you to an admissions tutor or a professor in your subject to talk to after your call (usually in the afternoon of results day or the next day) this is the time to show your passion!! Talk about modules you would enjoy taking at that university and reference your personal statement. I was quite anxious about this part, but they were so nice!! so don’t worry if you mess up your words as they’re genuinely not trying to trip you up
After you’ve received all your offers
make pro/con lists, research thoroughly online (include looking at accommodations and student reviews) and whatever else you feel may be useful to help choose a uni, if you haven’t made a decision by the deadline each uni gives you don’t worry - just phone up and they’ll usually extend the deadline for you :)
please remember that going to uni straightaway isn’t the automatic option, it’s very easy to rush into the first clearing offer - however there are many other options like resitting exams, doing degree apprenticeships (even in STEM) where you can earn money and get a degree or even not going to uni altogether and whatever journey you take to your desired career is valid
so this was a super long post 😬 This is all my personal experience with clearing, so I didn’t include much ‘practical’ advice like how to add clearing choices - look here and here for dates and how to use UCAs for clearing. Good luck out there to everybody waiting for results, wishing for the best. Please feel free to DM me if you think I’ve missed anything or have any clearing tips! 😊
