Are you a school teacher and adviser? Chances are, you’ll need to help guide some of your students through Clearing – and we’re here to help.
This guide will explain everything teachers and advisers need to know about helping students make informed decisions about their future education and securing a place through UCAS Clearing.
Who can apply through Clearing?
UCAS Clearing is part of the UCAS application process. It pairs applicants with remaining places at UK universities, and it can be a really positive experience for a lot of students.
Clearing is an option for applicants who:
- Have applied after 30 June 2022
- Did not get any offers
- Did not meet the criteria for their conditional offers
- Get exam results that are better than expected
- Want to change courses or universities
Important Clearing dates
UCAS Clearing starts on 5 July 2022, but most applicants will only be able to start the process once they’ve received their results. That’s 9 August for Scottish students, or 18 August for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For more information on key Clearing dates, check out our guide.
Prepare a plan for your students
No matter what sort of results you’ve received, Results Day has the power to drastically alter a student’s plans. That’s why you’ve got to do your best to ensure that all of your students have considered various options they might need to explore.
You should encourage them to do their homework ahead of time and consider what it is they prioritise. Tell them to research various courses, universities and locations so that they’re comfortable deploying a back-up plan if and when they may need it.
After Clearing enters the frame as an option, you should do your best to try and prepare them for Results Day.
The best place to start is by encouraging them to register their interest in Clearing at all of the universities they may be considering. This is a great way to get essential information about specific universities and courses so that applicants are armed with all the knowledge they need to make an informed decision after Results Day.
Students should also plan ahead by collecting all the phone numbers of universities they’re interested in ahead of time. The University of Stirling’s Clearing phone number is +44 (0) 1786 466166.
When getting in touch with various universities, make sure that your students have got all the essentials at hand to secure their place as quickly and smoothly as possible. This includes:
- Their exam results
- Their UCAS ID
- Their Clearing ID
- Their personal statement
- Any additional qualifications
- Their CV
You may also want to conduct practice phone interviews with your students. Encourage them to explain their motivations for applying for a particular course or university, and ask them to discuss their UCAS personal statement in a bit more depth.
Providing emotional support
Clearing can be a stressful experience for applicants, so you may need to provide them with emotional support in the run up to Results Day.
As a teacher or adviser, you should prepare yourself now for some difficult conversations and an emotionally exhausting day. Just do your best to remain positive and show your students all of the positive options they’ll be able to pursue based on their results.
It might be a good idea, if possible, to have a quiet space available that’s dedicated for one-to-one chats with students.
What happens on Results Day?
The minute your students get their results, encourage them to log onto UCAS Hub to check how their results have impacted the status of their existing offers.
Make sure your students don’t just assume that they have lost an existing place because they have failed to achieve every single condition of their offer.
Afterwards, you should tell your students to call up any university with a course they’re interested in. We need to talk directly with the applicant in order to help them secure a place — so no matter how much you want to help, they’ll need to do this one on their own.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t be right there with them offering support and encouragement.
We’re here to help
If you’re looking for more resources to offer support to your students, we’re always here to help. Check out our range of guides, and don’t be afraid to get in touch if you’re looking for any additional information about Clearing and how to support your students.
- Guide to What is Clearing
- Clearing experiences of Stirling students
- Advice for parents, guardians and carers
Likewise, if you’d like your students to stay up-to-date on what’s happening with Clearing this summer, encourage them to register for our Clearing updates from the University of Stirling. We’ll deliver all sorts of Clearing tips, tricks and advice direct to their inbox and do everything we can to help them find a university place for September 2022.