You can be a real source of support to your child by understanding the Clearing process and preparing in advance.
Clearing is part of the UCAS application process for undergraduates. It matches applicants to university places that are not yet filled, after exam results have been published on Results Day. It gives students a chance to explore new options and find the right university place for them.
Students can use Clearing as an opportunity to secure a place at university if they:
- didn’t receive any offers
- declined the offers they did receive
- exceeded their predicted grades
- didn’t meet the criteria for conditional offers
- applied after 30 June
- want to change university
Your child should log into their UCAS Track account and see what has happened.
Contact the Clearing Helpline to see if an offer is available.
Not all degree programmes will be available in Clearing - so do some research ahead of time.
We need to speak to the applicant directly unless we have agreed consent from them to talk to you.
Make sure your child has their exam results and UCAS ID (10 digits and starts with a 1) on hand before they call.
An email is sent almost immediately to the email on their UCAS file, outlining the deadline for accepting.
All new students are guaranteed a place in our managed accommodation. See the accommodation pages for more information.
You can start accepting a Clearing offer from 2pm on results day, not before.
Reassure your child that our Clearing team are here to help and support them through the process.
Our helpline will be open from 9am on 8th Aug and 8am on 17th Aug (BST). Live chat is also available.
How to prepare for results day
Follow our advice for parents, guardians, and carers for results day:
- Make sure you fully understand the UCAS Clearing process.
- Do your research and work with your student to identify possible universities and alternative courses they might be interested in. Check out what programmes we have open for Clearing.
- You'll be able to register to get email updates with lots of useful information about Clearing at the University of Aberdeen on our contacts page.
- Make sure your student has updated their contact details with UCAS Track so that we have the correct email address for any Offer emails!
On results day
As a parent, guardian or carer get prepared for Clearing on results day:
- Make sure you’re available on the day to provide support. Results will be released by the exam boards on Tuesday 8 August 2023 at 9am (BST) and on Thursday 17 August 2023 at 8am (BST), at which point UCAS Track will be updated.
- It can be a nerve-wracking day, but stay calm and positive and let your student know there are still plenty of options available to them.
- Once your student’s results are available, get them to log into UCAS Track so they can see if they’re eligible for Clearing.
Start early
Make sure your student contacts the universities they're interested in as soon as they know their results. Please note that we need to speak to the applicant directly and can’t discuss your student’s application with you unless we have agreed consent from the student.
There are a few things you can do to help your student get the best out of their phone call:
- Make sure they’ve fully charged up their phone the night before.
- They’ll need their UCAS personal ID and Clearing number as well as the details of all their qualifications.
- Make sure they give their exam results clearly – it is easy to mistake a “B” for a “D”!
- Before they make contact get them to make a list of any questions they might want to ask about the university, the courses they’re interested in, or any aspect of student life such as accommodation, travel and support services.
What happens next?
Once your student has got an initial offer over the phone, they’ll receive an email from us outlining the terms of the offer, the deadline for accepting and next steps. This will include information on steps to take in UCAS Track to formally accept the offer. They’ll then be able to start an application for accommodation as well as make any required changes to their application for student funding.