Your Ultimate Guide To UCAS Clearing

Have you been in search of some reliable information on UCAS Clearing? Well, buckle up and get ready to dive into the wild world of UCAS Clearing. Picture this: you are standing at the crossroad of uncertainty, but fear not! UCAS Clearing is your secret weapon to snagging that dream University spot. It's like the ultimate treasure hunt, where you get to swipe through a buffet of courses and many admissions officers like a smooth-talking genius. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of surprises, second chances and triumphs!

What Is UCAS Clearing?

UCAS Clearing is basically a second shot at your chance of getting admission into the university you think you can thrive. In simple terms, UCAS clearing matches you and an open position in various universities. Anyone who has applied through the UCAS undergraduate application and has not yet received any offer can apply for Clearing! Between July 5 and October 18, you'll be eligible for Clearing if: 

1. You are applying after June 30
2. You haven't received any offer letters
3. You haven't met the conditions of your offer
4. You've paid the multiple choice application fee worth £26.50
5. You've declined your place using the 'decline my place' button in your application

The courses that are in the Clearing are available for various reasons, not just because anyone wants them but, in actuality, it is for the people who fail to get admission to their university, or they change their minds at the very last minute in terms of their college or course they wanted to enrol in! 

How Does UCAS Clearing Work?

The very first thing to do when you apply for a UCAS clearing is to search for empty slots! Once that is done, you need to contact the university once you have selected the course to confirm the entry requirements and if there are vacancies there. After you have confirmed your course, you can add it to the Clearing option to your application. If the university is ready to give you a spot, then you can accept it! After that is done, click on "Add Clearing Choice" and enter the course information that your college gave you when you contacted them. Do remember, one choice can be added at a time, but if your application is denied, then you can add another option! You would have to pay £4.50 to go to Clearing if your initial application was for only one choice!

When does UCAS Clearing open and close?

UCAS Clearing for 2023 opens on July 5 and ends on October 17. For students who have not received any offer from a university in the UK or have not met the entry requirements for the desired course they applied for, then they are automatically placed in the Clearing process (it makes life less stressful); if you apply after the 30th, you are still applicable to apply through Clearing. For Clearing, you need to wait for your results!

Self-release

Any student who already has a seat at a university, even if the seat is fixed or is a second option, can self-release and go into UCAS Clearing and decline their spot. They can then use Clearing on their UCAS hub to apply to a university or course they want.

How To Use UCAS Self-release 

1. Log in to the UCAS Hub account and go to your profile page. After that, click the "decline my place" button.
2. Once that is done, you will be directed to a website showing the details, after which you must answer a few questions and confirm your choice.
3. An email verifying your status in Clearing will then arrive.
4. If you think you have made a mistake, then you should contact UCAS immediately.

Self-release is a simple process, but ensure you understand everything before self-releasing! 

Note To You: Before self-releasing into Clearing, you need to think about what you will be doing because there is a chance if you have a change of mind to switch back to your previous university, there might be no spots! You will also apply for a different student housing and revise your student funding application if you switch universities now.

How To Use UCAS Clearing?

We know that deciding to apply late or declining your seat, you not having a place at a university or college can be hard. However, you are not helpless, and you still have various options. Clearing helps over 50,000 students get spots yearly, and many more choose for apprenticeships, internships, gap years, or jobs instead. It won't be any different this year.

Let's begin with UCAS colleges and universities. In just a few steps, you will be able to get a spot:

1. July 5, check listings of available courses

Almost every university and college participates in Clearing, and there are thousands of courses to choose from. 

2. Contact your new choice (university) directly

Contact the university of your choice directly to find out if the college or university will accept you for the course you are interested in. 

3. Add your Clearing choice to your application

Include the offer in your application when you receive it so the college or university can formally accept you, and that's it! You are accepted; congratulations!

When To Apply Through UCAS Clearing 

To apply for Clearing, you obviously will need the important dates. So to save your time surfing the internet, here are some important dates to keep track of: 

1. July 5: 2023 Clearing Opens; you can now start researching for your UCASA Clearing courses
2. August 8: SQA results published; students in Scotland can now apply through Clearing
3. August 17: A-level results published; a A-level students can now apply through Clearing
4. October 17: 2023 Clearing ends, This is the last you can add a Clearing option to UCAS Hub

UCAS Clearing Plus

Using information from your application, what they already know about you, and what colleges and universities are searching for, UCAS personally matches you with universities and courses. If you find yourself in Clearing, you might be interested in courses.

A "My matches" button will appear on your application if you have started a fresh application or are not placed in any university. This should then show the top 50 course matches for you. After that, you can call the schools and universities that you are "interested" in their programmes. They might call you if you match their admission requirements and still have openings.

If you don’t get a call, you can still continue to use their search tool to find courses offered in UCAS Clearing if you wish to apply for something different.

UCAS Clearing Open Days

For Clearing applicants, many universities have open days when students can visit the campus, check out the amenities, and interact with faculty and students. If there isn't an official opportunity to visit, you can still contact the college and try to see the location before committing fully. A university will typically hold open the offer of a place as long as there isn't a major delay between receiving the offer and the visit.

Important things to remember if you need to use UCAS Clearing

You need to remember various things about UCAS Clearing and it’s process.

1. Make a list of potential UCAS Clearing courses and colleges you are interested in and organise it in order of priority before the deadline to make it easier to search through the Clearing listings once they are released.
2. When you are sure which university you want, apply immediately, and be sure to be available on the day of the results!
3. UCAS Clearing currently is presently a very big thing! Most of the top 20 universities will have openings during UCAS Clearing.
4. Check your UCAS Hub frequently; an option to "add Clearing choice" will show up if you are eligible.
5. You may also find the official Clearing listings on UCAS or university websites.
6. Considering different programmes: Instead of taking a single subject course, consider combining a course with another subject to increase your options!
7. Call the institutions where you expect to join immediately because positions at higher-ranked institutions can fill up quickly.
8. When making phone calls, keep your UCAS Clearing number close at hand.
9. If you can't speak for yourself when you call the university, you won't likely be offered a spot (unless you have a handicap that precludes this).
10. Continue; if you are having trouble getting through on the phone, try emailing.
11. Remember that you can only select one clearing option at a time.

How To Prepare For UCAS Clearing Before Results Day?

There are many ways to prepare for UCAS Clearing before you get your main results! Here are a few ways to prepare yourself!

1. If you don't feel confident that you will get the required grades, then having a backup plan is not bad! The best thing to do is to see which other universities offer the course you want or similar to it, and also see if these universities have the grade requirement you predicted to get!
2. Make sure you have all the important information, like the UCAS number, Clearing number, and your grades, that you will need to make calls and keep a pen and paper close by to jot any important notes down!
3.  If you are going to have one on one over the phone, then be ready to give almost a mini-interview, so practice your interview skills beforehand!

Even if your initial offers didn't meet expectations, UCAS Clearing is a significant opportunity for students to obtain a university place. It offers flexibility, the study of other choices, and the opportunity to choose a path that aligns with your ambitions. By being proactive, knowledgeable, and resilient, students can embrace new opportunities and construct a bright academic future through UCAS Clearing.