Guide to Clearing

Clearing is organised by UCAS and is the last opportunity for you to find a place at university in September of a particular intake. Clearing is for students who:

• Haven't got the results they expected and therefore have been unable to secure their first or second choice of course
• Sent their application to UCAS after 30 June
• Haven't already applied through UCAS before the deadline and would like to make a new application
• Have changed their mind about the uni/course they originally applied for.

Think you might have done better than you expected?
If you are holding an unconditional firm place, you can release yourself into Clearing, using the ‘decline your place’ button in your application and accept an offer at another university.

There are a few things you can do to give yourself a head start before you start your Clearing journey. Every year thousands of students find a suitable university place through Clearing, so above all try not to panic and feel pressured into making a hasty decision on results day:

• Register your interest in Clearing 2023 at BU.
• Call Clearing helplines (when open) to discuss your options. 
• Chat to current students and ask them any questions you may have.
• Speak to your school/college careers adviser for advice on alternative courses that will still keep you on the same career path, in case you can’t get on to the course you originally applied for.
• Universities will be able to tell you about the similarities between their courses, as some units may be the same between two degrees with a different title – so if your preferred course isn't available, there are still options out there.
• Search university websites or UCAS and take a look at the courses and entry requirements that are a good match for you. Try to be realistic about the grades you think you might gain but remember that universities are likely to be more flexible with entry requirements during Clearing (this also means you could get your original place when you didn’t expect it – good news all round).
• Have a think about the things you'd like to ask the university about e.g. course content, course structure, assessment, placement opportunities, career prospects, facilities, location, accommodation, financial support, and other stuff that's important to you, and make a shortlist.
• Consider your accommodation options
• Your eligibility for Clearing will show up on your UCAS Hub page – your status says ‘You are in Clearing’ or ‘Clearing has started’. This will also be where you will find your Clearing Number (universities will need this so that they can access your application) and the ‘Add a Clearing choice’​ button.

Clearing is open between July and September. Most universities will publish their Clearing course vacancies on A-level results day (Thursday 17 August 2023) with many opening for Clearing before this.

Finding a uni place through Clearing is being made easier than ever with the personalised course matching system from UCAS, Clearing Plus.

With Clearing Plus, UCAS will use the system to match you with courses you may be interested in based on your application, as well as providing information it has from universities about the type of students they are looking for.

For example, if a university has spaces on their BA (Hons) English degree and were looking for students with 104 – 120 UCAS points, if you have previously applied for English courses and meet the entry requirements, you’ll see this university’s course pop up in your recommendations.

Who can use Clearing Plus?

Anyone who doesn’t have a firm place can take advantage of Clearing Plus. This would be you if:

• You didn’t like any of your offers
• You haven’t received any offers
• Your calculated grades miss your offers
• Your grades are higher than predicted, so you want to take advantage of courses with higher entry requirements
• You’ve changed your mind and want to see what else is out there.

If you already have a firm offer, you’ll need to give up your place and enter Clearing.

How does it work?

Once you’ve entered Clearing, a new button in UCAS will pop up asking if you would like to “View Matches”.

If you find a course you like, all you need to do is click the “I’m interested” button.

The university will then be notified of your interest and may get in touch with you to discuss your application further if there are still spaces available.

If you are successful in getting an offer, then you will add this as a Clearing choice in UCAS so it can be confirmed.

Then you can view your next steps and start getting excited to start uni in September!

You can apply through Clearing, even if you haven't already made an application earlier in the year. There are two options for you to consider:

1. Start a new application in UCAS Apply. Your application will go straight into Clearing and you will be able to explore all the options by calling different universities. Once you've found the one for you, go to the ‘Your choices’ section of your application and click 'Add Clearing choice'. Then enter the details of the course.
2. Let universities start an application on your behalf. Not all universities will offer this option - we will do this for you at Bournemouth University, by completing a 'record of prior acceptance' form. To complete a record of prior acceptance form for you, we need to be sure that:

• you have not previously applied through UCAS for 2023 entry
• you have your results
• you want to apply to Bournemouth University only
• you have already spoken with our Admissions team and received an offer to study this September.

We can guide you through this process, so please contact us if you would like to discuss this process or your application further.

UCAS self-release gives you more control over your applications. If you no longer want to go to your firm choice, you can use the 'decline your place' button in your UCAS Hub, instead of having to contact your chosen university or college and wait to be released into Clearing. Find out more.

You can apply direct to BU through Clearing using our online application form. First you'll be asked to enter your UCAS Personal ID (if known) and an email address. You'll then be taken to the online application form.

You can apply for up to three courses and you will need to provide details of your confirmed/final results in the 'Qualifications' section. If you are still waiting for your results, select 'Pending' from the Grade list. If you are an International applicant, please also include your English Language Qualifications.

You will need to complete your application form in one go, so make sure you have your qualification information to hand before you begin.

If you are from outside the UK, you can still find a place to study in the UK through Clearing. There are two options for you to consider:

1. Start a new application in UCAS Apply. Your application will go straight into Clearing and you will be able to explore all the options by calling different universities. Once you've found the one for you, go to the ‘Your choices’ section of your application and click 'Add Clearing choice'. Then enter the details of the course.
2. Let universities start an application on your behalf. Not all universities will offer this option - we will do this for you at Bournemouth University, by completing a 'record of prior acceptance'. To complete a record of prior acceptance form for you, we need to be sure that:

• If you're not from the UK
• you have not previously applied through UCAS for 2023 entry
• you have your results
• you want to apply to Bournemouth University only
• you have already spoken with our Admissions team and received an offer to study this September.

We can guide you through this process, so please contact us if you would like to discuss this process or your application further.

We could tell you more about what’s great about coming to BU through Clearing, but our students say it so much better. Visit our Clearing blogs and vlogs where students past and present share their stories. You can also chat to our students and ask them any questions you may have.

Once you have been made an offer verbally from BU, we will send you an email confirmation of that offer. This email will also contain information on what you need to do next, such as:

• Go to the ‘Your choices’ section of your application and click 'Add Clearing choice.’ Then enter the details of the course (our institution code is B50) and complete the course details – we will give you a deadline to do this. Once you've done this, you’re accepting the offer and it will show as 'accepted' on the choices page of your application. UCAS will then send you a confirmation letter and we will send you a Welcome Pack
• View all your next steps, including exploring accommodation options, finding out about fees & funding and bursaries and planning your arrival at BU in September.
• If you're joining us from overseas, visit our International web pages for more details.