It’s that time of year again when the paths and futures of so many lives are decided – Clearing time. Students who don’t make the Higher grades they need for a place at university are being advised not to panic as the results come out tomorrow (Tuesday, August 8) as places are still available on a wide range of courses at the University of Aberdeen.
It can be a heart-breaking time for teenagers if their dreams of a university place are dashed because they didn’t perform as well as they had hoped and Clearing can be a time of confusion and stress.
Students want to find a degree programme that's right for them but they have to do things quickly. Advice coming from the University of Aberdeen is – ‘don't despair, our Clearing Team are on hand to help’.
If students don't quite match the grades for their Conditional offer, they can still get a place at university or college through the Clearing system. Clearing isn't a mad scramble for a handful of places, nor is it a 'last-ditch' option – more than 40,000 people nationwide find a place through the system every year.
Cathy Macaslan, Vice Principal, Learning & Teaching, explains that Clearing can be a time of confusion and stress for many students and their parents. “Clearing is the last opportunity that prospective students will have of obtaining a place at university this year, so it is very important that they go about it in the right way,” she said.
“It may be that the student will not have gained the necessary qualifications for the course in which they were originally interested, but may have done better in subjects that they had not really expected to. This may allow them to think about studying a totally different subject. That is what we are here to advise them on and the message that we want to get across is that our Clearing Team at the University of Aberdeen are ready to take their calls.”
It isn’t necessary to come in person to the University because the Clearing Team will be on hand seven days a week to answer calls from prospective students looking for a place in higher education. The Clearing hotline is open from 8.00am to 8.00pm, Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 5.00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. In many cases our staff will be able to provide an on the spot answer.
A special web site: www.abdn.ac.uk/clearing/ is available with up-to-the-minute advice and information on course vacancies. The telephone number to call is: (01224) 273504, or email: clearing@abdn.ac.uk
Sam McKinstrie, a graduate from the University was given a conditional offer when he first approached the University and moved to an unconditional status during the Clearing and Confirmation period following the release of the exam results. The anxiety and stress was taken away as soon as he contacted the University on the Results Day and he got the reassurance he needed from the Clearing Team at Aberdeen who were able to confirm his place very quickly and answer his queries when he called to get information about starting his studies.
Sam will be helping students get through the Clearing process this week. He said: “The University of Aberdeen makes the Clearing process as simple as we can. If students don’t have the grades they need, it can be very stressful and we try to put them at ease as quickly as possible. There are also students who have done better than expected and want to upgrade. We also have a team of student ambassadors who are available to take calls from applicants and will be able to discuss university life and any queries or concerns they may have.”
The University also acknowledges that parents may be anxious about how they will support their children at university. Financial assistance is provided to students from the University in the form of Entrance Bursaries which are awarded each year in an attempt to make funds available to those applicants who have not applied during the main cycle. The University has made available 20 Engineering Bursaries to support students who have either not yet applied via UCAS or who are not currently holding any offers of admission at the University. Students interested in submitting an application to study MEng or BEng Engineering, commencing studies at either Level 1 or Level 2, in September 2006 are encouraged to contact the University as soon as possible via the Clearing web pages: www.abdn.ac.uk/clearing/
Carol Baverstock, Head of Admissions at the University, has her team ready in anticipation for calls this week from students and their parents interested in studying at the University. She said: “The University of Aberdeen continues to be a popular choice for students. Places are still available on a range of courses at Aberdeen, except Medicine, Law and Primary Education. Obviously, we try to offer something suitable at the University of Aberdeen but if that is not appropriate we will do our best to advise them and we try at all times to accommodate their needs. We are on good terms with the other institutions, and if we don’t have a place for a student we will refer them on to other institutions.”
The University has also organised an event for students and their parents, the Open Day, which is one of the biggest and most important events of the year and will be held on Tuesday, August 29. It is designed to showcase the University’s facilities to thousands of potential students and is aimed mainly at those interested in coming to study at Aberdeen in September 2007. It is open to people of all ages looking for more information on the University and studying at Aberdeen and late applicants for 2006 entry will also be very welcome to attend. The Open Day is set to attract upwards of 4,500 visitors from across the UK, Europe and worldwide.
A packed programme of events has been planned to showcase the University, ranging from presentations and departmental activities, to exhibitions, demonstrations and campus tours.
For further information about the University’s Open Day, please call the freephone telephone number 0800 027 1495, or to speak to a member of the University’s Clearing team call: (01224) 273504.