We’re delighted you’re thinking of applying to UCA during clearing this year and unleashing your creativity with us.
Whether you’ve only just decided to apply, have changed your mind on what course you want to study or you don’t quite get the grades you were hoping for, we’re here to help you get the very best outcome from Clearing.
What is clearing?
In short, clearing is a process where students like yourself get matched to university places that haven’t yet been filled.
You might be thinking that means the only places left are on courses no one wants – but trust us, this is not the case. There are going to be places on some this year, and they’re likely to be quickly snapped up too!
In fact, clearing is a very popular choice for students – in 2022, more than 53,000 students in the UK found their courses in this way. Maybe this year you’ll be joining them!
Be an early bird
Once you have your results, get in touch with us as soon as you can. Clearing places can fill up quickly.
Being more proactive will improve your chances of getting the course you want. You can either apply online or call 012 5291 8240.
Be prepared
This might seem like an obvious tip, but it bears repeating that if you are thinking of joining us through clearing – or any other university of course – get all your details together in advance ready for making your calls.
So that will include the phone numbers you’ll need (ours is 01252 918240), your results, including the full qualification name, your UCAS ID (if you have one) and a list of the courses you’re interested in in front of you when you contact our clearing team.
Prep your portfolio!
When you apply to a course with us through clearing, our course teams may well want to take a closer look at your application, and with that they could ask to see a portfolio. We love seeing portfolios – they give us such a fantastic insight into who you are, your creative potential and processes, and mean more to us than your grades.
So, if you are considering us in clearing, we’d advise you make a start on putting together a portfolio now, just in case. You can look at our for general guidance, and our blog about for some top tips.
Talk to us
Sometimes there’s nothing better than just having a chat about things.
There are several ways you can find out more and ask your questions – there’ll be opportunities on our Instagram page and you can use chat directly to our students to find out what they think about studying here.
If you have any questions about the Clearing process you can submit our Clearing enquiry form.
Pop in and say hello!
Another way to find out more is to come along to one of our Open Days or take our campus tours.
On our Open Days you can tour our campuses, attend talks, speak with our academics, meet our technicians and quiz our students on life at UCA. If you want to come along, just sign up on our .
We also have run frequent campus tours that you can book online.
Check out UCAS Clearing Plus
Using UCAS Clearing Plus matches you to courses similar to your original choices at universities that have availability. You'll be able to express an interest in courses you are matched to and tell UCAS if you’re happy to be contacted directly.
Clearing Plus is only open to those of you who are currently studying A-Levels, BTECs, Scottish Highers, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, or International Baccalaureates.
It’s important to note, however, that not all universities use the service, so you’ll be matched based on the assumption that you still want to study a similar course to the ones you originally applied to.
Ask for advice
Your form tutors in college will be around on results day, and so will your friends and family.
Don't hesitate to ask them for some help when you're trying to get everything ready – second opinions can be really handy.