Tomorrow, 18th August, is A level results day, where you will finally find out exactly how well you did in your exams (and coursework). If you are looking to go to university you will be eagerly waiting to see if you got the grades you needed, but before you get your results here are a few hints and ideas, including what you might want to take with you tomorrow.
Things To Take:
With all of these things prepared you are now ready to face your results, although you might want to pick up a copy of the Telegraph on the way, since it is the only newspaper to carry the full list of clearing places available (just in case).
What To Do If…
You Met Your Firm Offer
Congratulations! You made it. Unless your university asked you to call to confirm your offer don’t bother calling them up, they will be busy speaking with other people who need to find places. Instead, telephone your friends and family and let them know how you got on. Your status on the UCAS track may take a while to update, but if it is not done by Monday just give the university a call and check there hasn’t been any problems.
Once your UCAS track status has updated your AS12 letter will be posted out confirming your place and course at your chosen university. Make sure to read the letter carefully for any mistakes and check if there is anything you need to send back to your university. Keep your AS12 letter safe – you will need it to open your student bank account and maybe more when you first arrive at uni.
You Did Better Than Expected
If you did better than you expected, you might want to consider looking for a university with higher entry requirements than those set by your firm offer uni. This is known as ‘adjustment’ and is carried out on your UCAS Track. You will have 5 days (including weekends) from when your conditional offer is made unconditional to look for a new place. This time cannot go past 31st August, but while you are in adjustment you won’t lose your original offer either, so no need to panic.
You Missed Your Firm Offer
You may still be accepted for the course despite missing your firm offer, so the first thing to do is to check your status on the UCAS Track which will tell you if you have been accepted. If so, see ‘You Met Your Firm Offer,’ above.
If the UCAS Track says you are conditional, then you need to telephone the university to see if you have been accepted. Use their clearing telephone number if they have one, or if not, ring the admissions office.
However, if you have been turned down by your first choice try not to get too down about it, there is still plenty you can do to get yourself to university -including checking your insurance offer (see below).
You Met Your Insurance Offer
Even if you missed your firm offer, you may have met your insurance offer. If that is the case then you don’t need to worry, as with meeting your firm offer, the UCAS Track will update and your will be sent an AS12 letter confirming everything. This may take some time to happen, so try not to call until 4 days have passed. Remember, you may have been accepted with lower grades, but if not call the university to find out for sure.
If accepted, you will need to use the Change Of Circumstances (COI) form so that your student loan goes to the right university and pays for your course, but it is best to wait for your AS12 letter first.
You Missed Your Insurance Offer
Check your UCAS Track to see if you have been accepted anyway, and if not, call the university to see if they will still accept you. If so, see above, and if not you will need to enter Clearing.
You Missed Your Offer But Have Been Accepted On A Different Course At The Same University
Your UCAS Track will show ‘UCC,’ which stands for Unconditional Changed Course, and means that you have 5 days to decide if you want to take this course instead. You will be sent an AS12C letter to explain your options, although you can simply decline it on the UCAS Track. If you decline the offer you will either go to your insurance offer, if applicable, or enter Clearing.
Your Grades Just Don’t Look Right
Getting your papers remarked will cost money, although some schools will pay for this for you, so it is worth checking that first. If your grades change you will be refunded any money spent on remarking, but be aware that your grades can go down as well as up! It is best to speak with your teachers first to see what they think.
You Decide To Defer
You may decide to defer your offer, in which case you will need to speak with your university as soon as possible to let them know. It is worth having your reasons for deferment ready so you can explain them to your university, most universities are OK with students deferring their places if they decide to take a Gap Year or do some volunteering, etc.
You Decide You Don’t Want To Go To University After All
If you decide that you don’t want to go to university right now after all you will need to tell any universities who have made you an offer for this year. You can do this using your AS12 letter. You will be withdrawn from Clearing and UCAS for the year. If you don’t have any offers and decide not to look for somewhere else through Clearing you don’t have to do anything. Just don’t look for somewhere else during Clearing and you won’t go anywhere. You can also withdraw from UCAS entirely using the UCAS Track. However, if you do decide against going to university, we’d advise that you think about what you are going to do instead, and maybe look at the apprenticeship route into work.
