What is Clearing?
Every year, many universities have vacancies on their courses, and to put it simply, Clearing is a way to get a last-minute offer from these universities that have space available.
There’s a common misconception that Clearing is just for students who did not do well in their exams, but there are actually a number of reasons you could choose to go through Clearing.
What can I use Clearing for?
- You have changed your mind about the course or university you initially chose
- You achieved better grades than you thought you would, and would like to apply to a different university or degree course
- You didn’t apply for university at all, and have now decided you would like to continue your studies
- You did not achieve the grades for your chosen university
- You missed the UCAS application deadline prior to Clearing opening
The best part about Clearing is that you have many new options to explore. You can contact as many universities as you like, as well as exploring other subjects, however you can only accept one offer.
What should I expect?
The Clearing process is a lot quicker than a full UCAS application and involves searching UCAS and university websites for course vacancies and you calling universities to enquire about any spaces or to ask about applying through Clearing.
When applying, most of the time the conversation will involve questions about your exam results and GCSE Maths and English Language, and a short telephone interview about your interest in the subject you’re applying for.
You can make as many calls as you like to different universities and about different degree programmes, and receive multiple verbal offers.
Once you’ve decided on which offer you’d like to accept, you can add this as your Clearing choice on your UCAS application, most universities will send you instructions on how to do this as part of their offer email.
When is Clearing?
UCAS Clearing officially starts on 5 July, with the final deadline to apply through Clearing being 28 September. The final deadling on UCAS is 17 October 2023
Each year, Loughborough releases a select number of degree vacancies during the Clearing period, and these generally fill quickly on A level results day.
When can I start the Clearing process?
Any vacancies that are available will be published on our website on or around 17 August. You can also phone us from 8.00am BST on 17 August to discuss any opportunities that you would match with.