Posts Tagged ‘UCAS’

Universities set to reject 100,000 who aimed too high, UCAS says

The independent report

Nearly 100,000 candidates who are scrambling for a UK university place are set to miss out because they are “not strong enough”.

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) said yesterday that the number of would-be students still eligible for clearing places is at an all-time high 189,267.

But the admissions body then added: “Based on previous admissions cycles, we expect that within this number around half will be applicants whose qualifications are not strong enough to support progression to their chosen courses.” UCAS is advising those it believes to have aimed too high to contact its exams hotline and discuss their future with specially trained careers advisers on hand to answer their enquiries.

It could be they then aim for a less demanding course, or seek one of the growing number of apprenticeships being offered by firms to A-level students this year.

A record number of youngsters have been placed in UK universities and colleges. The figure yesterday morning was 425,487 – 10,416 more than at the same time in 2010.

That means 62.2 per cent of those who applied have been successful – compared with 61.4 per cent last year. Since the number of university places on offer this year is about the same as last year – at 487,000 – it means that those left in the clearing race now have a fast-diminishing chance of snapping up a university place.

A total of 61,737 applicants are still awaiting a decision on their university application. They could have narrowly missed out on their grades and still be waiting to see if the university concerned will confirm their offer. Some may be appealing against their grades, particularly in the light of the blunders in exam papers which were exposed this year.

Exam board officials are bracing themselves for a higher-than-average number of appeals in the wake of the 12 mistakes – which involved all three of the biggest examination boards in this country – that came to light.

UCAS ‘No concern’ over university clearing rush

There is a “little more pressure” on UK university places this year but no cause for concern, the head of the admissions body Ucas has said.

With record applications ahead of the 2012 tuition fees rise in England, there are fears of an unprecedented scramble for remaining places.

One union leader has said she feared this year could see the most “frantic” clearing process in living memory.

Nearly 10,000 more students applied this year, but places remain static.

Some 300,000 students are due to receive A-level results on Thursday.

Those who fail to achieve the necessary grades or did not get offered a place, can request one of the remaining places through the system known as clearing.

Last year some 52,000 people entered clearing, of which 47,000 gained a place.

More than a third of UK university applicants are still without a place on a degree course

The BBC reports

The university admissions service, Ucas, says up to 187,000 candidates are chasing a falling number of unfilled places.

This means 46,358 more people than last year were in the same position.

With record results and a cap on university places, competition is said to be very tough this year.

Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook warned that this year was likely to be the most difficult year for admissions for a decade. A record 675,465 students have applied to university this year.
A* effect

Ms Curnock Cook predicted that at least 150,000 of these candidates would miss out.

Although there are still a good spread of courses with places available through clearing, it is expected there will be significantly fewer than the 47,600 who found places through the system last year.

There are no figures available for the exact number of course places on offer.

UCAS Step-by-step guide to clearing

From UCAS

The facts about Clearing

Clearing is a service that operates between mid-July and September. You can take part in Clearing if you have already applied through UCAS and you are in one of the following categories.

* You have not received any offers.
* You have declined all your offers or not responded by the due date.
* Your offers have not been confirmed because you have not met the conditions (eg you have not achieved the required grades).
* You have declined a changed course, a changed date of entry and/or changed point of entry offer.
* You applied for one course which has been declined/unsuccessful and you have paid the full £19 fee.
* We receive your application after 30 June 2010. If we receive your application after this date, we will not send it to any universities and colleges.

What you need to do

1. Get advice
2. Look at the vacancies
3. Contact universities and colleges that interest you
4. Clearing Number.
5. Accepting an offer
6. Adding a Clearing choice
7. Your place is confirmed

yougofurther.co.uk

UCAS brings you yougofurther.co.uk, its very own student networking website. Universities and colleges are invited to have a profile page on the website, which allows them to interact with prospective students in a medium that they are comfortable with. Students can leave messages on your wall and you can build a rapport with the students before they apply. The website also gives students the chance to meet each other before they start university. As you can imagine, student safety is paramount to us and our website is moderated by an external company called e-Moderation. We have also introduced the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) report button on our site. This in itself enhances the safety of yougo and allows our members to report directly to those who will deal with any online dangers that they encounter.