Higher students without the grades they need for a place at University are being advised not to panic when the results come out today.
The Admissions team at the University of Aberdeen 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 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays until the start of September and the numbers are telephone: (01224) 273504, fax: (01224) 272031, or e-mail clearing@abdn.ac.uk.
A special web site at www.abdn.ac.uk/clearing has also been created with up-to-the-minute advice and information on vacancies.
Last year, around 50,000 students secured places at UK universities through the Clearing process and there were vacancies on over 30,000 courses.
Director of Student Recruitment Services Lorraine Manders said that Clearing might be a time of confusion and stress for many students, and their parents.
"Clearing is the last opportunity prospective students will have of obtaining a place this year, so it's 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, therefore, to think about studying a totally different subject. That is what we are here to advise them on."
The University has also organised a number of other events for students and their parents, including Parents' Evenings, which will be held on Tuesday, August 17, at 6pm, and Thursday, August 19, at 7.30pm. A Clearing Open Day has also been arranged for Saturday, August 28, when prospective students will have the opportunity to meet admissions selectors, take part in campus tours and attend seminars.
For further information on both these events, contact Student Recruitment Services on (01224) 272090.
Further information:
Student Recruitment Services Director, Lorraine Manders (01224) 272090