Clearing

What is Clearing?

Clearing matches students without a firm offer to places on Degree and other Higher Education courses that haven’t been filled. Clearing is also a good option if you decide to change course after receiving your results or didn’t achieve the conditions for your firm and insurance choice on UCAS. Clearing runs from July to October every year, enabling you to find a course that’s right for you.

Depending on your circumstances, you can apply through clearing via UCAS or you can contact us and we’ll help you submit a direct application instead. 

First things first. You need to pick a course that you would like to study and it’s as simple as choosing from our clearing list which includes subjects like:

• Art & Design
• Creative Media
• Computing and Cloud Computing
• Construction
• Engineering
• Early years, Children, Young People & Families

View all our HE courses here

You can also check out some great reasons why lots of people choose to study with us here.

Next, you need to log in to UCAS Track to get your unique clearing number and select us as your clearing choice. If we make you an offer, you will need to use UCAS Track to accept.

Clearing With Us:

If you’ve not made any applications through UCAS and aren’t planning to apply to any other university you can contact us directly and we’ll support you in filling out a direct application instead.

Once you’ve chosen your course, call our dedicated Admission team on 0161 296 5000.  Be sure to have details of any qualifications you’ve gained or are currently studying for, such as GCSEs, A-Levels, T-Levels and BTECs, and the reasons why you want to study the course you have chosen.

Our Admissions Team is available:

Monday to Thursday: 9:00am – 4:00pm | Friday: 9:00am – 3:30pm

Key Clearing Dates:

• Wednesday 5 July 2023 – Clearing opens 
• Thursday 17 August 2023 – A Level results are published. 
• Tuesday 17 October 2023 – Clearing 2023 closes

Course Interview

Even when applying through clearing we might ask you to make time for an interview if we can’t do it over the phone, but we’ll give you all the information you need for this so that you’re ready.

Confirmation

We’ll send you a confirmation email including any further conditions of your offer and details on how to enrol. 

Congratulations!  That’s it and we look forward to seeing you soon! 

Research

Look for the course and the subject area that’s going to motivate and stimulate you, as well as an environment you can thrive and succeed in. You can take a look at the courses we offer and find out how to get in touch on our clearing page.

Maybe you’ve picked up interests in the months since your initial application. Say you want to change your choice from Physics to Geology, or even a completely different subject like economics or sport.

Clearing is the perfect time to ask yourself these questions.

Be prepared

Make a list of possible courses you’re interested in. 

There are lots of things you can do to make sure you secure your dream course on results day including:  

• Being clear about the course you want but having a few alternatives as well 
• Having any details to hand that you’ll need, such as phone numbers, exam results and your UCAS ID  
• Keeping calm when the phone lines open  

Be flexible

Be open to considering different courses or universities than you originally planned. You may find a course that you hadn’t considered before that is a perfect fit for you.

Be positive

Be positive and don’t panic. A lot of people don’t end up with their first choice university but end up loving their second or third choice.

Remember that Clearing is an opportunity to find a course that is right for you. Stay positive and keep an open mind, and you may end up with a better outcome than you expected.

Remain calm

Clearing can be a stressful process, but it’s important to stay calm and focused. Take breaks when you need to, and try not to panic if you don’t get an offer straight away.

Sell yourself

Ensure you highlight why you are passionate about joining the course – what is your motivation? Articulate your love of the subject.

The best thing to do is to prepare some answers to the questions below. And be honest about your qualifications and grades.

• What qualifications do you have and when did you get them?
• Why are you interested in this course?
• Why are you interested in the University?
• Why do you think you didn’t get the grades you were expecting?
• Why are you applying for a different course?

Be quick but don’t rush

You don’t need to rush into accepting the first place you’re offered. Make sure you’re making the right choice for you.

If you need time to think before committing, ask for a deadline when your decision needs to be made by.