During my time at university, I worked as a student ambassador. One of the many jobs I did as part of my role was working as an advisor on the uni's Clearing hotline. My top tips will guide you through what to expect when you go through UCAS Clearing and give you an idea of what to expect when you call a Clearing hotline.

Do your research

Once university Clearing starts, places are limited and can be taken quickly. Read our UCAS Clearing guide to get tips on researching courses. Make a shortlist of courses and be sure to prioritise calling the universities you’re most interested in. Even if it’s a course you’ve looked at before, be sure to check the entry requirements as universities often lower the requirements for Clearing courses.

I spoke with a lot of students who hadn’t really done their research, and it made their call take a lot longer. Check what courses are available at that university before you call, as it makes the process a lot quicker and easier. You can make multiple online applications if there are different courses you’re interested in, but you’ll only be able to add one to your UCAS Hub as this is how you accept the offer. Make sure you’re ready to decline all other offers and confident the university will confirm your place before you add a course into UCAS Hub.  

Be prepared to be on hold

Especially if you’re calling on results day morning, prepare to wait on hold for a while. This is the busiest time for Clearing hotlines and you might have to wait. While you’re on hold, use your time to keep researching and compile any questions you might want to ask the advisor.

I heard from some students that they’d been waiting for over an hour to get through to speak to someone, so there’s plenty of time to get your research in. If the university you’re looking at accepts online Clearing applications and you’re sure you want to make the application, you could save time by applying online through the university’s website.

Clearing places are usually first-come, first-served, so time is of the essence. I’d advise applying yourself as much as possible. Some universities will only accept online applications, and I had to let down a lot of students who'd waited to speak to someone to make an application only to tell them they'd have to fill out the online form themselves. 

Have your information to hand

When you speak to the advisor, you’ll need to prove your identity to them so make sure you have your UCAS ID number to hand as well as the grades you got so you can ask about the entry requirements for courses.

As your application contains personal information, it’s always best to make these calls yourself. I spoke to many parents, teachers and other family members of anxious students on the day but couldn’t offer them any information about the actual application. Your parents or guardians can’t speak to the advisor on your behalf unless you've given permission for the information to be disclosed to them. If you’ve previously added them as an approved contact then the advisor should be able to speak to them, or you may be able to give the advisor verbal permission to speak with a teacher or family member on the day. 

Listen to the advisor on the phone 

Every university will have slightly different policies around Clearing so you might get asked different questions on different calls. Make sure you pay attention to what you’re being told. Having a notebook to hand can help you remember the specifics of what the advisor's telling you.

Some universities might take applications over the phone but others might need you to fill out the application yourself online. The advisor should be able to offer guidance on filling out the application if you’re unsure.  

Ask any questions about the course or the uni

Make a list of questions you want answers to before the call, especially if you’ve been made an alternative offer and are using the university Clearing hotlines to ask about that. Make a note of important points the advisor makes and check whether there are any Clearing open days you can attend.

This is also a good time to ask about Clearing accommodation, as different universities will have different availability. Even if there’s no space in student halls for Clearing students, the advisor should be able to point you towards the contact details for the accommodation team, who can help with finding private accommodation as they’ll have a list of contact details for local estate agents and private halls. 

Get your place locked in!

Once you’ve sent in a Clearing application, you can expect to hear back from the university quite quickly as the admissions team will be working hard to respond to the applications as soon as possible. You might even hear back the same day, but the advisors at each university will be able to give you a more accurate idea of when the admissions team will be responding to applications.

Once you've received an offer from a university, the next step is to add the course to your UCAS Hub if you want to accept it. Bear in mind once you’ve added a course to your UCAS Hub you’re effectively declining any other offers you’ve been made. If you’re waiting to hear back from another course that you’d prefer to study, it might be worth hanging on. Clearing offers can have a deadline to add them to UCAS Hub, however, so don’t wait for too long or you could miss out.

Although calling Clearing hotlines can be stressful, it’ll all melt away once you’re at university. Remember to take some deep breaths, do your research and have a notebook, pen and your UCAS ID to hand. And while Clearing courses are first-come, first-served, Clearing remains open for a long time after results day, so don’t stress if it’s not all sorted immediately.

Best of luck!

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Guide to UCAS Clearing

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