Parents, Carers and Supporters Guide to Clearing
Clearing is a recognised and exciting pathway for entry into university, opening the door to new opportunities and experiences. However, for those navigating through the process to find their ideal university course it can, at times, feel overwhelming. Your role as a parent, carer or supporter, is helpful in ensuring that the Clearing journey is a positive experience.
Providing support during Clearing
Providing the right support during Clearing: Top Tips from UWTSD
Early planning before Results Day
If Clearing could be a potential option for the person that you are supporting, then undertaking early research around potential courses and universities is useful.
The UCAS website is a useful place to look at all university courses on offer or search directly using our subject areas.
Be calm and positive and offer reassurance that Clearing is a common route into university and many students find the right course for them during this process.
Providing Support on Results Day
On results day, provide emotional support to those collecting their exam results. Give reassurance and celebrate their efforts regardless of the outcome.
If a student has applied to university via UCAS, they can then log onto the UCAS Hub on results day to firstly confirm that they have been accepted onto firm or insurance offer. Even if their exam results are not what they had expected, their firm or insurance institutions may have still accepted the student and confirmed their place.
For those who have not received any offers or didn’t meet the conditions of their firm or insurance choice, then they will be eligible for, and automatically be entered into Clearing.
In this scenario, firstly encourage the student to stay positive and calm. This experience can seem overwhelming, however, there will be alternative options and opportunities for the person that you are supporting.
Encourage the student to consider alternative course or institution choices. Work through some additional research with them to look at other potential options. The UCAS website is a useful place to look at all university courses on offer or search directly using our subject areas.
Starting the Clearing process
Potential students will need to have their UCAS details and exam results to hand and can then begin to contact other universities to enquiry about alternative course places that may still be available. Submitting a Clearing enquiry form is a useful first step.
Complete our Clearing Enquiry Form: Once the student has found the course they are looking for, they can register their interest, this will allow us to keep you up-to-date with information about our courses and Clearing.
Students may contact universities directly to discuss course availability and suitability. It is important that they take their time to find the right option for them. Making calls to university admissions may seem daunting, however, our friendly Clearing hotline is equipped to answer queries that the student may have.
Call our Clearing Hotline: Students can contact us at 0300 323 1828 to discuss their options.
Our Clearing Hotline is Open
Call our Clearing Hotline today to get Clearing, Results Day and Course advice.
Being Organised
It is important that students are organised and have key information available to make a Clearing application.
They will need:
- Exam Results (or any additional qualifications that might support their application).
- UCAS number (if they have one).
- The course code for the course they are interested in, this can be found via UCAS or on our course pages.
- Their chosen University’s Institution code (ours it T80)
- Any other personal information such as email address, telephone number, and home address.
Having this information to hand will help ensure that the Clearing process is streamlined and stress free.
Making the most of support and advice available
We understand that applying through Clearing can be overwhelming, but we are here to support students every step of the way. Whether they choose to call us, or enquire, make sure they make the most of the advice that is open to them. In addition to their course choice, there are 3 big things to think about that our dedicated teams are on hand to help with:
Attending a Clearing Open Day
Once they have secured a course offer through Clearing, you can provide useful encouragement, support and advice. It is important that they don’t rush their decision making.
Now is also a good opportunity to find out more about the course or university.
Consider visiting the university. During Clearing, UWTSD has Open Day and visit opportunities. Campus tours or virtual tours are an ideal way to get a feel for a place, check out facilities and accommodation as well as meeting staff and fellow students.
Accepting a Clearing offer
Once the person that you are supporting has decided to accept an offer of study. They will need to formally accept via the UCAS Hub. Once on the UCAS site they will need to Click on Add Clearing Choice. You can support them to fill in their details and accept their Clearing offer. Once this is done their chosen university can formally confirm their place.
Considering Alternative Options
If a student is unsure about taking up a Clearing course offer, you could further support them by discussing alternative options. This might include taking a gap year, gaining work experience, or reapplying next year. Exploring alternatives could alleviate some pressure and could also open up new opportunities.
Preparing to start University after Clearing
Once a place is confirmed, you can provide further support by preparing the student for university. Encourage them to keep an eye out for information around student finance, accommodation and start dates.
Continue to celebrate all successes. Securing a place through Clearing is an achievement and a testament to resilience and adaptability, leading to an exciting new chapter in their educational journey.
