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 www.ucas.com 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 www.glos.ac.uk 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 click here See also How clearing worked for me - a Gloucester student's story <<Back to After A-Levels Guide 
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