Clearing advice for parents

How to support your son or daughter through Clearing

Some students will discover on 15^th August that they have not achieved the required grades for their firm or insurance choice of university. It’s not the end of the world. Around 30,000 students use the Clearing process every year. But there’s more to Clearing; it is also the perfect opportunity for those who have just not made their decision to go to university, to secure their degree place for October.

We understand that Clearing can be as pressured for the families as it is for the students. That’s why we’ve put together some handy hints on how to help your son or daughter make the best course and university choice.

1. Find the right available course

To see which courses still have places available, look on the UCAS website. The lists are updated continually, as some courses will fill up quickly. At GSM London all courses are career-focused – here is a list of what we still have available.Your son or daughter should choose subjects which they are passionate about to ensure they have the best possible experience and succeed at university.

2. Call the chosen institution

To be considered for a place through Clearing, your son or daughter should call the institutions they are interested in – all contacts are on the UCAS site. They can approach as many universities or colleges as they want, including ones they may have turned down earlier in the year. The GSM London Clearing Hotline is 020 3583 2100 andour friendly course advisers are on hand to offer your son or daughter support and help them through the clearing process.When contacting a university, your son or daughter will need to have their Clearing number to hand (see below how to find this). This enables the institution to view their application securely online.

3. Encourage your son or daughter to speak to institutions themselves

Institutions often need to speak to the applicants directly rather than a member of the family. They will ask for specific information such as previous study or work experience. For example, at GSM London decisions are not made on A-level grades alone, so we will like to get an insight into your son or daughter’s full educational and work background and their achievements.

4. Find your son or daughter’s Clearing number

If they are eligible for Clearing, your son or daughter’s Clearing number will be displayed on both the welcome page and the choices page in Track, the section of the UCAS website that enables students to track their application.

5. Accept a place through Clearing

In Clearing, institutions will offer your son or daughter a provisional place. More than one institution could offer them a place, so encourage them to take their time and choose the course they really want to study as they can only accept one of these offers.  Make sure that they ask how long they have until their offer expires, as each institution will be working to a different deadline. At GSM London students have 24 hours to accept our offer.Your son or daughter will then have to go on Track on the UCAS website and click on the "add Clearing choice" button and enter their chosen course details to be considered formally.

6. Receive confirmation of place

UCAS will inform the university that your son or daughter has entered their details on Track. The acceptance will be displayed in the "choices" section of Track, and UCAS will send each student a letter to let them know that the place is confirmed. If your son or daughter miss the window given by the institution to accept their offer, their provisional place will be released and they will be back in Clearing. In this case, the "add Clearing choice" link in Track will be reactivated so that they can apply somewhere else. They can still receive another offer from the institution they had chosen initially provided they still have places available.

7. Starting at university

Once your son or daughter has received a letter from UCAS to confirm their place at their chosen university, you can all relax. Now you can focus on the essentials of starting at university. From securing a place in accommodation if they are moving away from home and ensuring the student loan is in place, to getting that first groceries shop and any bedding and cookery they might need. To make the transition easier, at GSM London we send out welcome packs with key dates and important information as well as checklists with what to bring to registration.