When you think UCAS Clearing, you probably think of students who didn’t get their predicted grades and so didn’t get a place at their firm or insurance choice. While this is the case for a lot of students who use Clearing, it’s actually only one reason why someone uses Clearing. So here are the different reasons why students use Clearing to get their uni place.

Students who didn’t get the grades they needed

Maybe you had an off-day in your exam, or you were unlucky with the questions that were asked, and you didn’t do as well as you had expected on the day. Whatever the reason, the outcome was that your grades were below what you needed to receive a confirmed place on results day.

Students in this position use Clearing to secure a university place because they still want to start their studies this year rather than resitting their exams and reapplying for next year. In 2023, this group of students accounted for 29% of all students using Clearing.

If this is the situation you find yourself in, remember that you can consider different courses and subjects to what you initially applied for, though you should think carefully before you commit to a course that’s totally different than what you initially applied for.

Advice for traditional Clearing applicants.

Students who changed their mind about what they want to study

By the time results day has come around, it’s probably been around nine months since you sent off your university application, so it’s not uncommon to have changed your mind about the uni or course you applied for.

For these students, Clearing offers a chance to pick a different course or university which is more aligned with their changed goals and plans. This decision to change courses may be due to reconsidering future career plans, or just due to a change in academic interests.

In 2023, 18% of all Clearing applicants were those who had changed their minds about their study options. If you feel like this is the boat you’re in, make sure you carefully think through the options open to you before you make a final decision.

Advice for mind-changers.

Students who got better grades than they expected

Similar to those who changed their mind about the course they’ve received a place on are those who got better grades than they expected and want to ‘trade up’. With better than expected grades, these students are hoping to get into a course that they might initially have not applied to due to the high entry requirements.

If you find yourself in this boat on results day, then congratulations! You’re in an enviable position, as you have a firm offer for a course that you wanted to study and have the grades to potentially find an even better course.

Students aiming to ‘trade up’ in Clearing made up 11% of all Clearing users in 2023. If this is your situation come results day, be aware that there is a risk associated with giving up your confirmed uni place, and be sure to do your research and get your options lined up before you release yourself from the place you hold.

Advice for exceeders.

Students applying directly through Clearing

There’s actually no need to have previously filled out a UCAS application to use Clearing. These students are making a last-minute decision to go to university this year, and use Clearing to find suitable courses and apply directly through Clearing.

This path is common among mature students, but school-leaving students do use this route as well. It’s one of the most common reasons to use Clearing, with 26% of all Clearing users being direct applicants in 2023.

If this is you, and you’re a mature student who already has their grades, remember that you can apply as soon as Clearing opens on 5 July. This means you can avoid the busy phonelines on and shortly after results day, and get your Clearing place secured with minimal stress.

Advice for direct applicants.

Students who have no offers

The final group of students who use Clearing are a combination of those who changed their mind about their course and those who didn’t have the required grades. These students either received no offers from their initial application, or rejected all the offers they were given.

In 2023, this was 16% of Clearing applicants. If this is you, the good news is that you have forward warning that this is the situation you’re in, meaning you can plan ahead and start researching early. These students still want to go to uni, but either changed their mind about the courses they applied to, or applied to courses that were too aspirational for their predicated grades.

Source: UCAS

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