How to Apply Through Clearing
What is Clearing?
Clearing is a service which helps thousands of students secure university places every year. Not everyone is in Clearing because their results didn’t go to plan, you can go into Clearing if you didn’t want to accept the offers you were made or if you applied after 30 June. Any available places on courses at universities across the UK are advertised via the UCAS Clearing search tool. Queen Margaret University will also advertise our opportunities on these pages.
Who can apply through Clearing?
You can apply for a course in Clearing if you’re not already holding an offer from a University.
You are eligible to apply for a place with us through Clearing if:
- You apply after 30 June
- You already have your exam results but you have no offers
- You had a conditional offer but your exam results didn't go to plan
- You didn’t meet the conditions of your offer.
How does Clearing work?
You will be notified through UCAS Track if you have been released into Clearing. It will say ‘You are in Clearing’ or ‘Clearing has started’ when you log into Track. If you are still showing as conditional but have received your results, you may want to contact the university directly to check the progress of your application. If you have narrowly missed the offer conditions, your application may still be considered. UCAS Track will show you once the decision on your application is confirmed.
How to find university courses available in Clearing?
If you are in Clearing, you should use the UCAS search tool to see which courses have vacancies. Not every course is available in Clearing, so to save time calling up everywhere, check UCAS to be sure there are places. Check UCAS frequently, as some courses become available later in the process and may not be listed on the first day. Once you find a place/course, call up the university directly to discuss in more detail.
You are welcome to contact as many universities as you like during Clearing, but you can only accept one place. It is recommended you research the places you call in advance, to be sure they are institutions you would like to attend. Clearing places go fast, so be smart about how you use that time – check vacancies early and have a ‘Top 5’ or ‘Top 10’ list of institutions to call when the lines open. Remember to also check university websites directly when doing your research.
But you don’t have to wait for Clearing to apply for these courses. While we still have places, we are still accepting applications via UCAS before Clearing starts.
How to Contact QMU During Clearing
Once Clearing opens, we will make a clearing enquiry form available, and you can also direct enquiries to Clearing@qmu.ac.uk.
Please note:until Clearing officially opens this email inbox is not monitored. Please contact Admissions@qmu.ac.ukinstead.
You should have some key information to hand in order to make things easier:
- Full name and date of birth
- Address, email address and contact phone number
- UCAS ID and Clearing ID (or just your Clearing ID if you applied late)
- Which course you are interested in
- Your results
- Details of experience relevant to the course (you could base this on your personal statement)
Once you get through to a representative, they will take down the details from you and can advise you on the next steps. Sometimes you may be called back by an Admissions Tutor to find out more information and discuss the course. If the university can make you an offer, they will give an informal offer to you over the phone.
Got the offer! Now what?
To accept the offer, you need to add the course choice to your UCAS Track page. This is also called ‘referring yourself’. Once you select a course in Clearing, this is effectively Firmly Accepting the offer, so you should only do this once you are sure you want to take up the place.
Once you have made your decision, and ‘referred’ or added your choice, that’s it!
The university will then confirm your place and send you further details on enrolling and Freshers’ Week. You can then enquire about accommodation and anything else you want to know before starting. After that, it's time to start getting excited about your new adventure in September!
More information
For more information, contact our Clearing team: Clearing@qmu.ac.uk.
You might also want to check out our Clearing Experience page, with stories of students who have joined QMU through Clearing.