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Not
everyone will achieve the grades they hope for for their and thousands
of students this year will register for clearing with UCAS in order
to find a place on a university course.
Staff
are all set for their busiest time of the year because once the
A-level results are published the telephones are red hot.
It's very uplifting when they have a wonderful moment of revelation
and they have finally got the place that they want. |
|
UCAS inquiry team member |
The
UCAS headquarters opposite Cheltenham Racecourse deals with thousands
of calls every summer from teenagers trying to confirm university
places.
Those
who do not make the grade and miss out on their first choice place
will be looking to find a course through clearing - a database of
university places that are vacant and is administered by UCAS.
How
UCAS copes with the rush
UCAS
has brought in 12 extra staff to bring its team to 40 to cope with
the rush of phone calls during the clearing period - and gets the
results early to help universities now what vacancies they will
have.
All
leave is banned during the exam results period - and staff say the
work has its and downs.
"It
swings both ways, it can be emotionally draining because a lot of
people are under a great deal of stress but it's very uplifting
when they have a wonderful moment of revelation and they have finally
got the place that they want," said one of the applicant inquiry
team.
|
| All
course vacancies are listed on the UCAS website from August
14 to September 19 |
What
help can UCAS offer?
"We
have lots of ways to help - a database which is a live link to all
the universities which gives us a record of all the decisions coming
through, we have the applicant's form so we can see exactly what
they have written, the history of all the letters that have gone
out and we have information on the UCAS website of all the courses
available."
Last
year more than 39,000 people found course places through clearing.
From
August 14 to September 19, all courses with vacancies will be listed
on the UCAS website on
Students
can search for courses by subject, university or college or by region.
The list is updated every two hours.
What
if I can't get through?
You
can call the University of Gloucestershire as well as Cheltenham-based
support service, UCAS, for advice.
Admissions
manager Brian Miller, says they have brought in extra staff to help.
"It's
a very busy time for us and can be a worrying time for the students.
"We
take on extra staff during clearing in order to give each student
personal attention and address any questions or anxieties they might
have."
Why
not go local?
The
University of Gloucestershire is finding an increasing number of
students applying from within the county - so that's somewhere you
might to consider if your first choice uni or college further afield
is no longer an option.
For
a start it's cheaper because you can still live at home!
Mr
Miller says: "There are obvious economic benefits with this approach,
and we are pleased to be able to offer access to a growing number
of Gloucestershire students.
 |
| More
county students are applying for places at their local uni |
"Many
of the programmes available through clearing this year have a national
or even international reputation.
We
have places on our more traditional courses such as Geography as
well as more contemporary subjects like Broadcast Journalism and
Adventure Leisure Management.
"Add
to this the fact that we have an outstanding record for graduate
recruitment, award-winning campus sites and the latest IT and teaching
facilities, and we feel Gloucestershire can be proud of its local
university."
Anyone
interested in finding out more about clearing vacancies at the University
of Gloucestershire can call their clearing helpline on 01242 544001,
or visit the clearing website at
Anyone
interested in part-time study or professional courses should call
01242 532825.
To
find out more about the University of Gloucestershire and other
county colleges
See
also How clearing worked for me
- a Gloucester student's story
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