Cardiff University’s top tips for clearing

64,900 university applicants were placed through clearing in 2016

Dr Luke Sloan, academic lead for admissions in the school of social sciences at Cardiff University, shares his advice for clearing

CLEARING gives university applicants who have missed their entry requirements the opportunity to shop around for a different course. It’s an understandably stressful time as important decisions need to be made in haste, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t approach the situation with a plan.

Don’t panic! Check Ucas Track If you’ve only just missed your grades you might find that your university is still prepared to offer you a place. Check the status of your offer on Ucas Track and, if you’re uncertain, ring your university to confirm.

If you go through clearing then you’re not alone 64,900 university applicants were placed through clearing in 2016, which accounts for around 12% of all students accepted*. *Source: Ucas End of Cycle Report 2016

Take a deep breath and leap into action Universities often have a wide selection of courses available through clearing for appropriately qualified applicants, but the most popular courses will have the least vacancies and they will fill up fast. Take a moment to gather your thoughts and think about where and what you want to study, but don’t put it off too long.

Have your details ready Make sure you have your Ucas number and exam results handy and that you know the details – eg. if you have a BTEC is it a certificate or extended diploma?

What about accommodation? In the heat of the moment it’s easy to forget that choosing a degree programme is only part of the experience and you’ll also need to find somewhere to live! At Cardiff University we have a limited number of guaranteed accommodation places available on a first-come, first-served basis for clearing applicants – so wherever you apply to, always check what the institution can offer.

Confirm your place on Ucas Track Once a university makes you an offer through clearing, don’t forget to accept it through Ucas Track. If you don’t accept it by the deadline then the offer will expire and you’ll probably have to start again!

Attend an open day If clearing has meant that you’re now holding an offer for an institution that you know little about then take the opportunity to visit. Cardiff University has a clearing visit day on Saturday, August 19, and you’ll be able to meet the academics that will be teaching you, view accommodation, learn more about the campus and student life and seek advice around funding matters.

Talk to us 100+ trained Cardiff University staff will be working in our dedicated clearing enquiry centre and we have academics in every department ready to talk with you about your options – wanting to help you make the best decisions. Call 0333 241 2800.

Finally… This might be an opportunity It’s probably been quite a while since you made your choices and perhaps after attending some open days and doing further research your interests have shifted. If that is the case, clearing is an opportunity for you to realign your future direction and things might work out for the better. Every cloud has a silver lining!

Adjustment Did you do better than expected? If so, you may be able to ‘trade-up’ your offer for a course with higher entry requirements – through adjustment. Check the Ucas website for further details.