You might have heard about Clearing before, or you might be wondering what it is and whether it’s something you need to know about.

Clearing is the final chance for you to find a place at uni this year. There are a few different reasons you might go through Clearing:

• If you didn’t quite meet the 30 June UCAS deadline
• If you didn’t receive any offers from your initial university choices
• If your exam results weren’t as you had expected.

Clearing gives you the opportunity to apply to universities and colleges that still have places available on their courses. There will still be entry requirements, but some universities offer greater flexibility with these during Clearing.

Now you know what Clearing is, you’ll want to know how it works. Clearing is open from July to September (we’re open for Clearing now by the way!). Some of you will already have your exam results, if so you can get started with your Clearing search. If you’ll be receiving your exam results in August or early September, you’ll still be able to look for places through Clearing then.

You need to make sure you get your university choice right, so don’t rush your decision. Even in Clearing, you still need to give yourself some thinking space.

If you do go through Clearing, here’s what you need to do:

1. Find courses in Clearing. They will be on individual university websites, on the UCAS website or in the national press. Ours are here!
2. If you are eligible for Clearing an ‘Add a Clearing Choice’ button will appear on your Track ‘choices’ page on UCAS, as well as your personal Clearing number. Jot the number down along with your UCAS Track number.
3. Make a list of all of your qualifications and their UCAS tariff points value. If you’re unsure you can use the BU tariff table. You’ll need these, so make sure you’ve got them to hand!
4. Make a short list of the courses you’re interested in, the universities they are offered at and the telephone number you need to call.
5. Pick up the phone and dial; universities want to speak to you personally. It’s not just a chance for us to find out about you, it’s also the perfect opportunity for you to find out if it’s somewhere you want to spend the next few years of your life, so ask away and remember to make notes!
6. Once you’ve decided which course you want to study and been given a verbal offer over the phone, click the ‘Add a Clearing Choice’ button on your UCAS Track ‘choices’ page and enter the institution code and course details.
7. UCAS will let the university or college know that you have entered their details on Track. If the university or college accepts you, it will be displayed in the ‘choices’ section of Track and you’ll receive a letter to confirm this. Don’t panic if it doesn’t appear straight away – it’s a really busy day for universities!

The best way to get ahead in Clearing is to be prepared. We’ve put together this Clearing Toolkit to help you out.

Hopefully by now you’re feeling prepared for Clearing. If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask us!

And what next? Well, there are two things. Firstly, see if you can visit your university of choice before September. Secondly, celebrate! Now you can relax and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Somewhere you can be you.

Find your place at BU this September: 01202 966777