Clearing can be part of your student’s big plan.
We know how important it is for parents and supporters to feel they're equipped to support their student throughout the whole university process, and particularly if they find themselves using Clearing.
There are lots of reasons why a student might be using Clearing to find a place at university. They might not have got any offers when they first applied, or maybe they didn’t do quite as well in their exams as they hoped, or maybe they did better than expected. They might simply have changed their mind about where and what they want to study, or maybe they’ve only just decided they want to go to university at all.
Whatever their reason, it’s good to know that thousands of students successfully use Clearing each year to find their place at university.
Here are some tips on how you can help your student make their Clearing experience a success:
- Stay positive. Clearing can be a great opportunity for your student to be matched to their ideal course at their perfect university. Even if they’re using it because exams didn’t go as expected, it doesn’t mean they’ll end up settling for somewhere they don’t want to be! Read our Clearing stories to hear about experiences of current students and alumni who came to us through Clearing.
- Support their research. It’s worth taking a look at other universities and courses ahead of results day so you’ve got the knowledge to help your student consider alternatives to their original choices.
- Get clued up on Clearing. Clearing and results day can seem quite fast-paced, so it’s helpful to know how it all works. It will keep everyone calmer on the day. Read through the information below, and take a look at the rest of our Clearing section for everything you’ll need to support your student.
Take a look at our Clearing FAQs for more details and information.
How Clearing works
- Clearing opens on 5 July, but students can only find a place through Clearing once they have their exam results - for the majority this will be A-level results day.
- Once your student has their results, if they want to find a place through Clearing, (either because they don’t have a university place already, they didn’t get the grades for their firm or insurance choice or they have got into their course but have changed their mind), they’ll need to contact the university they’re interested in.
- If they’re interested in Royal Holloway, they can check our website to see which courses are available, and the grades required. We’ll release these ahead of A-level results day.
- They'll then need to call our hotline and speak to one of our friendly advisors, who’ll make them an offer for a course, if they have the relevant grades, or can suggest an alternative course if they’ve just missed the grades.
- We’ll make an offer over the phone, which we’ll follow up with an email. Your student then just needs to go to their UCAS hub to put in the course and university they’ve been offered a place at (they may need to decline their original place, if that offer is still open).
- They’ll then be able to book accommodation, visit to our campus and start getting ready to become part of the Royal Holloway community in September!
