When Portuguese national Sofia Da Silva Aguiar, who was born and raised in China, applied to enroll as an undergraduate at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, she received conditional admission. This meant she met some but not all of the standards for admission. But that didn’t end her dreams of studying drama.
Although she eventually lost that offer, she found a spot at Loughborough University through Clearing — a part of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, or UCAS, application process that allows U.K. universities to fill any open slots for undergraduate students in the new academic year.
“I was extremely relieved because I thought I was going to have to take a gap year and try again next time around,” says Da Silva Aguiar, who received guidance during a Clearing fair held in Hong Kong.
[Discover steps for U.S. students applying to U.K. universities.]
For students who don’t receive any offers, decline an offer, fail to meet conditions of an offer or apply after June 30, Clearing gives applicants another chance of finding a spot at a university.
“Last year, 6,105 international students secured their place at a U.K. university or college through Clearing. Overall, around 1 in 8 of all students accepted, got their place via Clearing,” said Courteney Sheppard, customer experience manager at UCAS, via email.
Here are three things prospective international students who are interested in U.K. universities should know about Clearing.
— Timetable: Unlike in the U.S., where students typically take a variety of classes before choosing a major, applicants to U.K. schools must apply for a specific subject, or course, at the university. Prospective international students should keep in mind that Clearing starts from July to September each year. Experts say students can apply for courses that still have openings to begin studies in September.
“Last year about 35% of our international students entered UEA via the Clearing process,” said Alix Delany, head of admissions at the University of East Anglia, via email. “This is pretty normal as Clearing starts from July of each year and a lot of international students decide once they have their results to apply for UK universities.”
Students who have already applied through UCAS but have not received any offers or declined all offers will be eligible to have their applications automatically entered into Clearing. If students have not applied through UCAS before, they can register to enter their application into Clearing, according to the UCAS website.
“During 2017-18 entry Clearing last August, we offered places to 71 international students. International students are treated no differently to any other student,” says Heather McKeever, senior regional manager, Americas, South East Asia and MENA, Global Recruitment and Admissions Advancement Group at the University of Reading.
— Resources: Prospective international students can find open courses via the UCAS website or university hotlines.
Malaysian national Subhashini Robert William, who earned a bachelor’s with honors in English literature and language from the University of Westminster in 2016, says she found her spot at the school through Clearing.
“When I googled ‘Westminster Clearing’ I was directed to the hotline and people at the administration were very helpful throughout the process,” William says.
[Strive for U.K. undergrad honors degrees as an international student.]
But reaching universities by phone is not the only option.
“The best way to contact a university is by email. All universities should have their listings and contact details on their website, and at UEA for example we do monitor the emails to assess international applications during the Clearing period,” Delany said.
Experts say students should identify courses with vacancies and call or email those schools to see if they will offer students a place. McKeever says if a student is applying to a program similar to one he or she applied to previously, then a new application is not usually required.
“Do your homework. Many U.K. universities will decrease the grades they ask for in certain subjects,” says Andrew Bird, head of international marketing and student recruitment at Bournemouth University.
Bird says students should be prepared and have their UCAS application number, final grades and, if requested, their English language certification before they call any universities.
Bournemouth accepts a range of English proficiency exams, such as the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS. According to Alison Lowton, international admissions manager at Bournemouth, when Clearing applicants call, they must verbally declare their English language grades as well as subsequently send a confirmation via email.
[Learn five facts about earning an undergraduate degree in the U.K.]
— Visas and accommodations: Experts say prospective international students who require a visa to study in the U.K. must consider whether they will be able to receive their visa before the course start date, whether that’s in the fall or early winter.
Bird says students should find out what’s required to get a U.K. Tier 4 (General) student visa. For example, Lowton says, they can call Bournemouth to speak to an adviser on its immigration compliance team or read about visas on the school’s website.
Students should also ask about accommodations during the Clearing process, Bird says, as some universities, but not all, will guarantee student housing for at least the first year of study.
“The application turnaround varies by country so check the latest arrival date your university will accept,” Bird says.
As a national of a European Union or European Economic Area country, Da Silva Aguiar didn’t require a visa since she has a Portuguese passport. She says after being accepted by Loughborough University, she received emails with instructions on how to apply for accommodations.
“The Clearing process was so stress-free and simple, which really helped boost my morale because I was already very upset about losing my conditional offer,” Da Silva Aguiar says.
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What International Students Should Know About Entry Into U.K. Universities originally appeared on usnews.com
