With the A-Levels exams and results fast approaching, it is important to shed light on one of the key processes students use to get into undergraduate university courses: the clearing process. In 2018, a little over 60,000 students found a place on a university course after applying through clearing, which is a new record for this process. Until recently, clearing was seen as a “last chance” for students that didn’t perform well on their A-Levels, but now it’s also about choice. So, let’s have a look at the clearing process and its increasing relevance for both universities and students.

Things you should know about the clearing process

The clearing process offers to match students with the remaining undergraduate spots at universities that are yet to be filled. The clearing process, organised by UCAS, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, opens for those who didn’t meet the necessary requirements to get into the course of their choice. It’s also for those who desire to apply for another course and for those who didn’t apply to any course at all and got better results than expected. 

When can you apply through the clearing process in 2019? 

If UCAS receives your application after 30th June 2019, it will be considered too late to enter the main scheme and it will directly enter the clearing process. Thus, you are allowed to complete an application to get a place through clearing, from the 1st of July until the 29th of September 2019.  

Some key clearing statistics: 

• 1 in 8 people accepted on a full-time university undergraduate course were accepted through the clearing process.
• Clearing is also available for students outside the UK. Over 5,500 EU and international applicants enter the clearing process each year.
• 83% of students who went through clearing last year said they were satisfied with their choice.

University clearing: a consolation prize or an opportunity?

Following changes to admission rules that now allow universities to recruit as many students as they can, the image of clearing has progressively changed. Russell Group universities have proved clearing is no longer the consolation prize it once was. Last year, most Russell Group universities had vacancies available to students, such as the University of Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and more. Now a vast range of courses is offered, including some of the most popular ones like biology, English literature, nursing, economics, and law.

With an increasing number of students using the service to bag a better university, now they also use the process to their advantage and apply for places for many different reasons – they may have had a change of heart or circumstances, and they see the clearing process has an opportunity to apply for a different course or a better institution. 

What challenges are universities facing during the clearing period?

Clearing can be a stressful period for both students and universities. Thousands of students will be nervously calling on results day expecting to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. In order to leave a positive impression on potential future students, universities need to answer enquiries and connect students to available courses efficiently.

During the clearing period, universities see a substantial increase in enquiries coming in through different channels. It can be difficult to manage each enquiry in a timely manner, so many students are often left feeling frustrated and ignored, leading them to approach another university.

It is crucial that universities engage with as many prospective students as possible and quickly provide them with the right information. Dealing with this spike in calls can quickly become a challenge. To solve this issue, universities have traditionally hired additional temporary staff. However, this is a costly approach. Some universities have also experimented with outsourcing but, with thousands of calls from potential students coming in, they can be understandably nervous about relinquishing control to unproven third-party providers.

What solutions can C3 offer universities to help them better handle clearing?

At C3, we offer a range of solutions to cover universities’ different needs during the clearing process. We help them provide a better experience, whilst staying professional and efficient at all times. 

Our multi-channel contact centre solution can help universities scale up and expand their communication efforts to allow them to efficiently tackle all of the enquiries that they receive. They will never miss an enquiry again, as the innovative queuing system sorts and deals with all messages chronologically while assigning enquiries to agents. Additionally, complementary applications, such as voice recognition, call recording and PCI compliant payment processing, can be added to the platform on an incremental basis to suit the unique requirements of each institution.

Universities need to keep in mind that this new generation of students expect to be able to interact with universities via SMS, email or even social media. Universities need to prove their adaptability and ability to use new and modern communication methods efficiently. 

C3 offers a cost-effective, flexible and on-demand service to manage the clearing process. Our solutions can be deployed directly on university networks giving them additional capacity and call control for the duration of the clearing period, so institutions only have to pay for what they use. Alternatively, C3 can handle incoming call queues, removing them from the university infrastructure and delivering them to the agents when they become available.

At C3, we have extensive, proven experience and knowledge of the education sector, so do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to create a bespoke solution to help you handle the specific challenges your university encounters during the clearing process.