How you can make the grade with Clearing
TODAY teenagers across the country will be receiving their A-level results.
Many will get the grades they need for a place at the university of their choice.
Others will discover they have not met their conditional offers.
some pupils will demand re-marks or do resits, while tens of thousands are likely to go through the Clearing process — around 65,000 students found a place this way last year.
To take part, students must have applied through Ucas ( Universities and Colleges Admissions service) and not received any offers; declined all their offers; not responded by the due date; or not achieved the required grades.
Official vacancy lists are published on Ucas’s website and continually updated.
University Clearing hotlines also give up-to-date details on the courses they offer, so it is vital to hit them as soon as they open today.
serena Blundell, 19, from richmond- upon-Thames, hopes to work behind the scenes at the royal Ballet after going through Clearing. The dancer secured a place on Kingston University’s Bsc (hons) sport science degree course last year.
After practising ballet for 15 years, she decided she’d like to continue in dance, but in a backstage role.
she says: ‘i’d applied to study criminology and had several offers, but decided on a gap year to take time to think about what to do. i realised i would be interested in being a physiotherapist.’
serena started an As-level in biology on a distancelearning course as she was concerned she didn’t have the right A-levels to study for a science degree.
On her gap year, she heard about Clearing and discovered the Kingston University course. she says: ‘ i rang the hotline and someone talked through my qualifications with me. i was mostly concerned about having the right qualifications to be accepted on to the course, but i was told that my psychology A-level and As-level biology would count.’
she adds: ‘Clearing is a great route into university if you haven’t got the grades you initially needed or haven’t decided what to study. i would love to work with the royal Ballet — that would be my dream job.’
Dr hannah Moir, a senior lecturer on the sport science course, says: ‘We strongly advise students check the Clearing pages on our website and phone our Clearing hotline to find out if they have the right qualifications and qualities to be offered a place on one of our popular courses.’
FOR Clearing places, log onto www.ucas.com. Kingston University’s Clearing hotline is 0800 048 3334.