UCFB Clearing guide and FAQ

Many of you will be waiting for your level 3 results right now. If you are waiting for results then you could end up looking for a place on the busiest day of the year for every admissions department in the country. Here are a few tips to get you through the day.

There are over 200 institutions teaching higher education degrees in the UK. Consider making a shortlist of courses and institutions that may interest you. Make a note of their Clearing hotline or admissions telephone number and decide who you will call and in which order.

Be prepared for the fact that not all degree courses will still have places available, so make sure that you have some alternatives in mind. At UCFB for example, we boast employment rates of over 90%, with almost two thirds of graduates now working within the football and sports industry. This means that our degree programmes are extremely popular. We do therefore strongly recommend that you contact us via email study@ucfb.ac.uk sooner rather than later if you are interested in studying at UCFB.

Finally, if you have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to contact us at study@ucfb.ac.uk and we will be more than happy to help you.

There’s no getting away from it – A-level results day can be a stressful time… Even more so if you’re about to enter Clearing. Working out where you’re going to live and what you’re going to study over the next few years of your life is not a decision that should be made lightly.

So, to help you through the day, we’ve put together a list of what you should do before results day to best prepare yourself for the day, and what to do should you enter Clearing.

• Timing is everything – Find out in advance what time your school opens on results day.
• Keep it local – You must collect your results in person. Should your results mean you’re to enter Clearing, universities and other higher education institutions will want to speak to you directly, so make sure you’re near a phone or the internet.
• Relax – It might seem stressful, but it will be alright if your results don’t go exactly to plan. Speak to your teachers, careers advisors and parents and get their advice on your next steps. Many students who go onto higher education through Clearing often say it worked out better for them in the long run.
• It’s good to talk – Seek out somewhere you can talk in peace, and make sure your phone is fully charged.
• Get clued up – We have a number of articles and videos you can read and watch to give you further advice and information.

• Personal statement – Go through your personal statement and highlight the parts you feel showcase you and your academic abilities the best. Remember, you’ll be selling yourself to potential institutions.
• Notebook – It’s old school, but you’ll need to make notes throughout all of your calls. It’s easy to forget vital information when you’re consuming so much of it in a short space of time. Remember to take the contact details of the people you speak to, also.
• UCAS Personal ID number – If you have already applied in UCAS remember to have your personal ID number ready as you will need to give it to each institution you call.
• Questions – Prepare questions about your chosen course and the institution. Write them down so you don’t forget, and prepare a subsidiary question too. This shows you are genuinely interested and it’s better for you to have all your questions answered to make an informed decision.
• Exam results – Please be sure to know the full names of the qualifications and subjects that you have studied and grades you have achieved. You will be asked to provide this information when you call. Many qualifications have similar names so it is important that you provide the correct information. If your clearing application is successful you will be required to send in evidence of your results in order for your application to be reviewed for an offer.

UCAS Clearing is the process by which universities fill remaining places on courses. If you wish to apply for a September start then this is the last chance for you to apply. The entry criteria for courses does not traditionally change at this time of the academic cycle. UCFB wishes to make offers to students that have the potential to succeed, if you wish to check your suitability for a particular programme then we would encourage you to call the hotline and speak to a staff member from the Future Students Team regarding a potential application.

This call will be your opportunity to discuss your skills and experience, be sure to use this as an opportunity to sell yourself and your achievements and explain why you are an excellent candidate and have the potential to become an excellent UCFB student.

No, at point of application, you do not need to have a live UCAS application. UCAS Clearing is designed to help those applicants that do not currently have an offer for September. If you have an application and are unplaced or you have yet to start one on UCAS you are welcome to call the Clearing hotline.

Clearing offers can only be made to unplaced applicants. If you have accepted a place at another institution, that you no longer wish to take, then you will need to withdraw from that offer. This can be completed on UCAS Hub or by contacting the institution directly.

Before you withdraw your current offer on UCAS make sure you call the institution you'd like to apply for to see if you are eligible.

If you are offered a place, the UCFB Admissions Team will provide full details on the next steps. This will include information on how to accept, additional relevant info on student services, accommodation, registration & enrolment etc.

UCFB’s accommodation providers offer student rooms on a first come first serve basis. As soon as you have been accepted on to a programme you can apply for accommodation.

UCFB will support all first-year students with finding accommodation nearby our campuses.