Or you might have offers but you now want to study something different - or maybe you only just decided you wanted to apply to university. Clearing is a great opportunity to find a university course and place for September now, rather than having to take a year out!
UCAS Clearing can seem complicated, but it’s something you should know about as part of your UK university application journey. After all, Clearing is designed to help applicants who apply late to university or who haven’t been successful in getting into their dream school! Read on to learn more about Clearing and how it can help you in the next steps of your path towards university.
What is Clearing?
UCAS Clearing is a round of university applications in the UK after the regular admissions cycle has typically closed. In 2024, Clearing begins on July 1st and closes on October 21st. Clearing is essentially a way for universities to fill spaces that are still open on their course. In some competitive subjects, universities might also deliberately reserve places for Clearing looking for students who did better than expected on results day.
From an applicant perspective, Clearing is a way to continue to apply to UK university courses if you didn’t get offers from your original 5 UCAS choices or if you reject all the places you’ve been offered. All applicants, including international and graduate students, can use Clearing.
Can I Use Clearing?
You’ll be automatically placed into Clearing on UCAS (although that doesn’t mean you have to use it to apply to courses) if you:
- Are applying after 30th June, including if you originally applied through UCAS before then and have kept your account open
- Aren’t holding any offers as your firm and/or insurance choice, either because you didn’t accept any or didn’t receive any
- Didn’t meet your offer conditions and were rejected by your firm and insurance choice on results day
- Declined your firm place using the “decline my place” button on your UCAS application
Often, people see Clearing as a results-day-only option for those who miss their grades, but that isn’t true! Clearing is open for anyone without a confirmed UK university place on UCAS by the 1st of July. You do need to have paid the multiple application fee to use Clearing: most people will have done this already, but if you only applied to one course, you can pay a £4.50 top-up to use Clearing.
Is Clearing Reserved For Undergraduate Admissions?
Clearing, as managed by UCAS in the UK, is primarily focused on undergraduate admissions. It is designed to help students who have not secured a place at a university to find available courses. This process generally applies to students seeking admission into undergraduate programs, including those who:
- Did not receive any offers
- Did not meet the conditions of their offers
- Declined their offers
- Applied after the UCAS deadline
For medical and dental schools, which are highly competitive, Clearing does occasionally list available seats, but these are limited and often fill up quickly.
Clearing is not typically used for graduate or postgraduate courses, including graduate entry medical programs. Postgraduate admissions have different processes and timelines, and universities manage these separately from UCAS Clearing. Graduate programs often have their own application systems and deadlines, and prospective students need to apply directly to the institutions offering those programs.
Should I Use Clearing?
Whether you should use Clearing is a more difficult, personal question. Not all courses enter Clearing, and many competitive and prestigious courses and universities don’t use Clearing.
For example, Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial tend to not use Clearing, and courses like medicine, dentistry and veterinary science usually have very few, if any, places in Clearing. If you really want to study a certain subject, or at a certain institution, you would have to reapply or explore other options.
At the same time, you can access great opportunities through Clearing: some courses will lower entry grades for Clearing applicants. You might also find a course you love but haven’t known about before, or you might have done better than you thought and be able to apply to a course you thought was out of your reach.
You need to do your own research and think about what your needs are to decide whether Clearing is right for you, but here are some things you might want to consider:
- Are you set on one course, or would you consider other related subjects, that may be in Clearing?
- Are you set on one university or location, or can you be flexible in Clearing to go somewhere offering your subject? If so, will the university offer you an accommodation guarantee so you have somewhere to stay when you start your course?
- Do you need to start university this year, or would you be prepared to take a gap year?
- Have you thought about other options, outside of Clearing - some international and private universities will take direct applications so you want to be on top of these alongside Clearing.
How Do I Use Clearing?
Once you’ve decided to use Clearing, it can be a little complicated, so make sure you know what to do. You’ll have a Clearing number on your UCAS page, which you’ll need to tell universities you speak with - you can’t wait to see if they have a place before you go into Clearing.
Universities can only make unconditional offers through Clearing, so you can’t apply through Clearing until you have your grades. This is why most Clearing action happens on UK A-level results day, 15th August 2024 - it’s when the majority of UCAS applicants can use Clearing. Courses also tend to enter Clearing on or around results day when universities see that applicants have missed their offer grades. If you do have your results, though, you can apply now.
Unlike regular UCAS, you can only add one Clearing choice at a time, and you should only add a choice once you have a verbal offer from a university. They’ll then honour that on UCAS once they’ve confirmed what you’ve told them over the phone is correct. If you add a choice without a confirmed verbal offer, you’ll be rejected - but this can take a while, and you might lose the opportunity to apply to a course that will take you in the meantime, as Clearing can be very fast-paced.
If you’re applying through Clearing on results day, first check the university and UCAS websites to see what courses are available. When you see a course you like, phone the university’s Clearing line ASAP. Lines are often really busy on results day: plan in advance and get lots of people to help you by calling different universities. You can be on hold for a while, and spots are typically first come, first served, especially for small or competitive courses.
Finally, don’t be afraid to contact courses you’ve previously been rejected from in Clearing: you might get lucky now.
What Should I Expect from Clearing?
It’s best to go into Clearing with low expectations: you may then be pleasantly surprised! It is risky to expect that a particular course or university will be in Clearing. Even if a course has been in Clearing for the past ten years, it doesn’t guarantee that it will be this year. Being open-minded and considering new courses in Clearing is a good way to make the most of the diverse opportunities Clearing offers.
Expect a busy day if you do go into Clearing. You will want to spend results day finding your Clearing space, as many courses are only in Clearing for a very short period on results day. This can feel very pressured: have a think in advance about what you’re prepared to accept in Clearing to make sure you don’t make snap decisions you might later regret. For example, you might only want to look at one course or one university.
Our Top Tips for Clearing
That’s a lot to think about! Bearing everything you now know about Clearing in mind, here are our top tips for Clearing 2024:
- Plan in advance: think about what you want out of Clearing and make notes of university courses and hotline numbers, so you can make the most of it on the day.
- Think about accommodation, social networks and support alongside the courses: university isn’t just about what you study, it’s about the whole experience. Make sure you take a holistic look at universities in Clearing, not just the list of available courses.
- Reflect while you’re on hold: your Clearing phone call will be a mini-interview for them to decide whether to offer you a place on the course. Make sure you have an idea of what to say to common questions like “why this course” or “why this university”.
- Call back: Clearing is busy and it can be hard to get through to universities. Don’t be disheartened if your call is declined, just call back.
- Take care of yourself: Clearing can be a very stressful time, especially if you’ve just had less than good news about your results. Make sure you have a support network to help you through the process.
I Don’t Want to Go into Clearing - What Are My Other Options?
If Clearing isn’t for you, that doesn’t mean giving up on your dream! Here are some of your options to consider alongside Clearing:
- Reapply to university in the next admissions cycle, taking a gap year. This is a good option if you have plans for your year out and definitely want to study a specific course or at a specific university that wasn’t in Clearing.
- Apply to private UK universities or courses that don’t use UCAS. This can be a trickier option as you would typically have to self-fund fees, but it can be a way of accessing courses that are rarely in Clearing.
- Apply to international universities. If you’re willing and able to look outside the UK, other countries have different application systems, allowing you to apply to courses throughout the year.
- Consider non-university options: you might prefer to look for jobs or apprenticeships instead.
Clearing FAQs
Is Clearing different as an International student?
The Clearing process isn’t different per se as an international student, but there may be some extra factors you want to be aware of. For example, you may also need to apply for a student visa and take extra English language exams. You can ask universities about this directly if you need to. Being an international student can be an advantage in Clearing: you might have your grades sooner than UK students and some courses may have spaces specifically for international students.
Does Clearing affect my student loan as a UK student?
No, Clearing doesn’t affect your student loan. If you’ve already applied for one, you just need to update your change of course or university ASAP. You can still apply if you haven’t already, but the later you apply the less likely you’ll have the money come through by the time you start your course.
When can I apply for Clearing?
You can apply as soon as Clearing opens on 1st July, but only once you have your grades.
Can you get into good universities through Clearing?
A ‘good university’ is the course that’s right for you - but some typically prestigious and high-ranking UK universities can be in Clearing. However, these might be their less popular and competitive courses. Look at the course, not just the university name.
Is Clearing first come, first served?
Clearing can be very time-pressured. Once a space is gone, it’s gone, so the sooner you speak to a university, the better. However, being the first person to call doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed the place if you don’t meet the entry conditions or you don’t do well on the phone interview.
Why is AUC Promoting Clearing?
It’s important to highlight that a medical program at AUC requires an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite. Prospective students need to complete their undergraduate education before applying to AUC. We value education and appreciate the opportunities that Clearing offers to students seeking admission to colleges and courses. And although some students who may want to enter medicine end up in other undergraduate programs, they may some day revisit their desire to enter the medical field.
We understand how competitive some colleges and universities are to get into–the same is true of medical school. If you are interested in a career in medicine and you’re able to get into a good undergraduate program, keep AUC in mind when the time comes to apply to medical schools. We have 3 incoming sessions throughout the year in 2 locations: Sint Maarten and our UK Track at UCLan in Preston, UK. Additionally, you can explore opportunities to study abroad with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine that prepare their graduates to work in the US and UK.
For more information about AUC’s MD program, including prerequisites, request more information.
