Results day is an exciting milestone, it’s the moment your university journey truly begins.
While many students celebrate their achievements, others may find themselves without the grades needed for their chosen university or may have a change of heart about their future plans.
Whatever the reason, Clearing offers a range of opportunities to help you find the right path. Here’s our step-by-step guide to support you from before results day through to accepting your offer and taking your next steps.
BEFORE RESULTS DAY
WHAT IS CLEARING AND ADJUSTMENT?
Clearing ensures that any student still seeking a university place has the opportunity to secure one before the academic year begins. Universities with available course places will advertise them on UCAS and their own websites for applicants to explore.
Students may choose to apply through Clearing for the following reasons:
- You changed your mind about where or what you want to study
- You decided to apply to university after the June 30 deadline
- You didn’t receive any offers or didn’t accept the ones you received
- You didn’t get the grades you hoped for on A-Level results day—or you did better than expected
If you're applying to university after the 30 June deadline, you still need a UCAS account to be able to apply through Clearing.
RESEARCHING YOUR OPTIONS
It’s important to research potential options ahead of results day. Take note of different courses that interest you, explore various universities, and create a shortlist of your top choices.
Be sure to write down the Clearing hotline phone numbers to call your chosen university to apply once Clearing opens.
As part of your research, take the time to learn about university life. If you're planning to apply to Queen's and are not familiar with Belfast, we recommend checking out our Student Blog and Life in Belfast to get an idea of what it's like to live and study here.
CLEARING OPENS
MAKING THE CALL
You’ve got your results and are ready to go through the Clearing process. It might feel a bit daunting at first, but preparing in advance will help everything go smoothly.
At Queen’s, you can contact us via our Clearing Hotline when it opens. Here’s how to get ready:
- Gather your qualifications, including your GCSE results and UCAS number.
- Our Clearing Team will ask about your education history and the course you’re interested in.
- We encourage all students to make the call themselves but if there’s a situation where you are unable to take the call, a parent or guardian can speak on your behalf.
RECEIVING AN OFFER
When you speak with the Clearing Team, they can provide you with some information about your options over the phone and then pass everything over to our Admissions team, who will review your application and send you an official offer via email after the call. You then need to add the course(s) to your UCAS choices. This gives you time to think about your options and do any additional research, such as looking at university accommodation and the support available to students.
On Results Day, you may feel pressured to make a quick decision. However, remember that this is an important choice, and it’s entirely up to you whether or not to accept the offer. Take the time you need to make the right decision for your future.
ACCEPTING YOUR OFFER
Now that you've had time to consider your decision, you're ready to confirm your place with the university.
The final step in the Clearing process is to confirm your acceptance of an offer through the UCAS Hub.
WHAT'S NEXT?
ACCOMMODATION
If you're new to Northern Ireland, you will need to secure accommodation for your first year of university. You can choose to live in university accommodation or privately rent, our accommodation team reserve rooms for late applicants each year.
Find out more about applying to university accommodation after accepting your Clearing offer.
STUDENT FINANCE
If you have applied to Student Finance, you will need to notify them directly of the change to your application. Your Student Finance account is not linked to UCAS.
Don't panic if you haven't applied for Student Finance yet but have secured a university place through Clearing. Apply as soon as you can as applications can take up to six weeks to be processed.
Use the following guide to find your course code for your application.
STUDENT SUPPORT
At Queen's, we offer a network of support services dedicated to helping you get the most from your time at Queen's, looking after your health, emotional wellbeing, education, study needs, financial security and future career.
WHAT'S NEXT?
STARTING UNIVERSITY
Starting university is an exciting and busy time, and we have guides dedicated to giving you all the information you need to settle in to university life, including what you need to do before arrival right through to making the most of your time in Belfast.
More information and important dates can be found on the following pages: