With results day just around the corner, we’re here to guide you through your journey to higher education, whatever path that may take.
To find the best course for you, at the right university for you, Clearing can be a great option. We’ve put together our top six things that you should know about Clearing to help you make your choice.
What is Clearing?
Clearing is for anybody who has changed their mind about where or what they want to study, or those who haven’t applied yet. It opens in July every year, and contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for people who haven’t quite achieved the grades they hoped for. All you need is to have an account with UCAS.
1. Clearing is an opportunity to re-evaluate your options.
Changed your mind about which university you want to go to? Didn’t quite get the grades you were hoping for? Maybe you weren’t sure university was the right next step for you, but now your grades are in and you’ve decided you want a place. Now’s the perfect time to re-evaluate your options and see where a new path could lead you.
Whatever your situation, there’s no need to stress or worry. Our simple Clearing guides will talk you through how to secure a place at the right university for you.
2. You can choose to re-define your goals.
If you’ve exceeded your expectations with your results, congrats and well done to you. That’s impressive stuff, and you put the work in. You might not have applied to any universities with high entry requirements, because you didn’t think you’d meet them, but now you do. Feel free to speak to other universities and shop around. If you decide you no longer want to go to your firm choice, you can use the ‘Decline your place’ button in your UCAS application. You must do this before you can go into clearing. Remember once you self-release, your original offer will be gone.
You might have thought your ‘dream University’ was out of reach, but not anymore. You might decide to consider an entirely new subject, study location, or career path. The possibilities are limitless.
3. Clearing allows you to bypass the lengthy application process
No application? No problem. Clearing lets you bypass the main application period altogether. How great does that sound? No personal statements, no interviews. It may sound too good to be true, but it really is that simple.
Looking at course vacancies to see what’s available via Clearing is the best place to start. On results day, if you have some idea of what you want to study and have your grades to hand, we’ll help match you to a course that suits you. Got your results already? Then apply direct to us now via our online application form.
4. Preparation makes the process much easier
Take some time to give thought to your current choices on UCAS, if you’ve already applied. You might want to rethink the universities that didn’t originally make your top five – or you might even try somewhere entirely new.
Think about what’s important to you in a course as well as where you want to study. What topics are covered in the modules on each course? What support services or funding opportunities are there at each university? Where would you most love to live? These are all worth giving fresh thought to now, rather than waiting until results day.
Check the UCAS website for universities that have vacancies which match your priorities, and note down their Clearing hotline numbers for when you receive your results.
5. Clearing is quick, easy, and simple
To get a place in your university of choice through Clearing, all you need to do is give their Clearing hotline a call on results day and see if they can offer you a place on the course of your choice. That’s all there is to it.
Have your questions ready, your personal Clearing number and your results to hand so they can give you the best advice as quickly as possible. If you’ve already applied to at least one university, you’ll be able to get your Clearing number through UCAS. If you haven’t applied to any at all, you’ll need to set up an account with UCAS first.
6. There’s no need to rush, it’s a big decision
At Edge Hill, we’ll be able to make you an informal offer over the phone instantly. There’s no limit on how many offers you can hold, so take your time, you don’t need to accept that offer immediately. You’ll be told how long the offer will last for, or if you’re unsure, just check. So take some time to have a think about what is best for you and to get a clearer idea of all your options.
If you have time, we’d recommend going along to an open day at any universities you’re considering. Many of them take place around Clearing, so check with the university when their next one will be. Take a look at Edge Hill’s open day events. We’d love to show you around and answer your questions.
Start your journey with Edge Hill through Clearing
Clearing opens on Wednesday 5 July 2023. Whatever results day brings, one thing you can be sure of is that we are here to support you during Clearing and beyond. Call us on 0800 028 6677 and our friendly advisers will guide you through your options. Got your results already? Then why wait – apply direct online and see if we can offer you a place.
Clearing could be the best decision you ever make. New goals. New horizons. And at Edge Hill, you won’t just go on to do great things. You’ll go on to inspire others.
July 3, 2023
