Staying calm and taking time to consider all your options is key to the Clearing process, according to experts at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), the Times Higher Education’s University of the Year.
Hundreds of thousands of A-Level students will receive their grades on Thursday, 15 August, but ARU’s Clearing centres across the East of England have been taking inquiries since 1 July from people who are making a late decision to study at university in September.
More and more people are applying to university through Clearing. In 2023, almost 75,000 students were placed this way, around 10% of all applications last year and up 12% from the previous year. This is expected to rise again this year.
ARU has more than 200 courses in Clearing this year and Mark Garratt, ARU’s Director of Marketing, says the volume of options available to prospective students can be daunting, so taking time to consider everything carefully is important.
Mark said: “Most people think of Clearing as something of a scramble after A-Level results come out. There’s always a lot of noise around it which can add to anxiety, but actually the process starts in early July and runs until the Autumn. So there’s no need to feel pressured into making a snap decision.
“People apply through Clearing for many reasons. Lots of people want to leave their options open later rather than apply through UCAS much earlier when they might not be 100% sure of what they want to study. At ARU we welcome lots of applicants who choose to return to education later in life, and also people who may have got different A-Level grades to what they expected and find more options available to them.
“University is not for everyone of course, but the diversity of courses being offered now is larger than ever, from degree apprenticeships to distance learning alongside more traditional degrees.”
On A-Level results day, ARU’s Clearing centres will be staffed by more than 100 experts who will be available to discuss options with prospective students, with phone lines and live chat open from 8am.
Courses available in Clearing at ARU range from Nursing to Law, from Biomedical Science to Criminology. To contact Anglia Ruskin University during Clearing, call 01245 686868, e-mail answers@aru.ac.uk or visit aru.ac.uk to use the live chat function.
Mark’s top five tips for approaching Clearing:
- Don’t feel pressured. Choosing the right course is an important decision but it isn’t one you have to make instantly. Listen to opinions of parents and peers, but the decision is yours and must be right for you.
- It’s not just what, but where. The place you are going to study is important. Some prefer to be close to home so they can commute, some people enjoy being in the big cities. Some may feel more comfortable at a smaller campus, while some may find it isolating. Everyone is different, so consider carefully the place, as well as the course.
- Be open to new ideas. The advantage of applying through Clearing is your course will start in just a few weeks. You may feel differently to how you did when you first applied to university, so don’t be afraid to change your mind.
- Pay a visit. Many universities hold open days during Clearing so you have a chance to see what they have to offer. ARU is hosting an undergraduate open day at its campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford and at ARU Peterborough on Saturday, August 17. More information is available at https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/open-day/book-your-place
- Don’t worry. There are many thousands of places available in Clearing at universities across the country. Most courses have no cap, and if you have your heart set on studying at university, there will be a place for you.
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