As tens of thousands of students across London get ready to receive their A-level & BTEC results this Thursday (18 August 2022), Ealing’s University of West London (UWL) is offering some top tips on how to deal with the clearing process, where students who have applied late for a course, changed their minds on what to study or even didn’t hit their target grades can go through the clearing process to get a place at university.
UWL admission advisors have come up with these top tips:
Be prepared: see what’s on offer
While many courses will be available in Clearing, not all will, so check the lists of vacancies in advance to see what is on offer. UWL has its vacancies listed here and you can explore the various courses in detail. It is worth shortlisting a few that interest you – so that you’re prepared when you call on results day if some courses fill up early in the process.
Think about what is best for you
You’ve probably heard many different opinions from various people on what is best for you, but now is the time for you to decide. Think about different universities and courses and imagine where you want to be for the next three or four years and the possibility of a career in your area of interest. Almost all universities offer virtual tours which are a great way to see the campus and facilities. You can get a good idea of the UWL campus with its virtual tours to help you build up a picture of life on campus. You can also get a good idea of what students think about their university by using the latest NSS 2022 (National Student Survey) results which saw UWL rated as the No. 1 University in the UK for student satisfaction* NSS 2022 *average all questions.
What you need on results day
Make sure you have your UCAS ID (if you have applied through UCAS), along with your results. Sometimes universities may want to know more than how you did in your A-Levels or BTEC courses, they might ask about your GCSEs, AS Levels and other grades relevant to your potential course. All of your results will help university tutors understand your background and experience to ensure you’re a good fit for the course. You might want to mention relevant work experience or volunteer programmes, so have it all on hand. The quicker you can provide details, the easier the entire process will be for you on the day.
Make the most of your time
Expect phone lines to be busy, and it might take a few tries to get through on the first day or two of Clearing, but once you do, use your time efficiently. This is your chance to speak to course tutors, so make a list of questions beforehand and visit the university website to see what information is already available. The more you know in advance will help you use your time well and make the right choice.
Don’t panic!
Most of all, don’t panic. There is still time to get organised and ready to make that call on results day. Get all the information you need in advance and build an idea of where you want to be. At UWL there are teams of people in place to help students every step of the way.
UWL even has direct lines to get advice and help
0800 036 8888 – Clearing hotline
020 8231 2525 – Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Clearing hotline
More in formation on the UWL clearing process can be found on its website
