Applying through Clearing

Clearing is something many students have to go through, over 70,000 applied through clearing in 2020, and something I wish was told more was: applying through clearing doesn’t make you a bad student! I was personally nervous if people found out I was going through clearing or what they would think, but the very first thing I soon came to learn is that no one cares how you end up where you do, as long as you are content. So, if you see yourself or a friend applying through clearing, whatever the reason is, just know that you will find something that excites you and will make you happy for sure.

I, myself, applied through clearing and am writing about my experience to help you better understand how clearing works. I used the UCAS clearing website which helped me decide which university or course would be the best fit for me. It sorts out all the courses and related subjects universities are offering through clearing. However, when you are researching, make sure you are ready to compromise a bit, either on the course or the university. Even if you do not find the exact course you are looking for, I am sure you will still have a great time. I am currently loving studying Architecture at Cardiff University, and so glad I made the final decision to apply here.

You can use this for the UCAS search tool: https://www.ucas.com/clearing-launch

Cardiff University guided me through each step of my UCAS clearing application. They provided thoughtful and insightful responses to each of my questions and as an added bonus they responded quickly! Make sure you are very organized and check your email every hour so you don’t miss any updates. For example, if anything extra is needed for your application— a portfolio or transcripts— make sure to have it sitting on your desk and ready to submit. This may even increase your chances of getting into the university or course you’ve chosen. If, after you go through everything and have secured an offer with one, or even a few universities, you will be given an informal letter of acceptance. After that, you will have to formally put your offer in, which will be done directly through UCAS. They will have all your information that you gave round the first time of applications so after you have applied through UCAS, you are done. Then, you can wait some more time to receive the final acceptance, which means you can celebrate again!

Cardiff was such an easy school to apply to. They instantly gave me access to my Student Portal through which I was able to go through and apply for accommodation or anything else I needed. It made the process enjoyable and smooth, which was nice after having to go through the stress of applications. Similar to the university application, you will have to be realistic when applying for accommodation. You are not given much choice when applying since it is after the first round of applications; nevertheless, I will highly recommend applying through university accommodation because even though you may not end up with the option you wanted, you will still have the opportunity to meet so many people from university. I met some of my best friends at my accommodation and it changed my life during the time I have spent at uni.

One of the reasons I love Cardiff is that there is so much to do! The beach is close by which makes for a perfect day trip when you are itching to get away from city and work. The town is a very student friendly area with good pricing and many fun pubs and eateries. I had the best time at Cardiff and after everything that happened due to COVID in 2020, Cardiff University made everything so much better and made me happier than I could imagine.

I hope I cleared some things out for you. Good luck with clearing!