How to be well-placed for uni Article by Natalie Lancer, founder of MyUniApplication.com 23/08/11 After two months of finding things to do in order not to think about it, results day is finally here. You may have achieved the grades you needed, or exceeded them. You may also have fallen below what you were expecting. Whatever your situation, Natalie Lancer from myuniapplication.com will guide you through what happens next. Firstly, on Results Day, make sure you are in the country and available to make telephone calls and send emails. You may also need to be prepared to travel to different universities for impromptu interviews. If you know that you will be abroad, check that you have reliable internet and telephone access. You are probably holding a firm and insurance offer from two universities. The firm offer is your first choice university and the insurance offer is your second choice. UCAS will be given your A-level grades, and will send them to your chosen universities. If you meet the requirements of the offer from your firm choice and you are happy with that, then no further negotiations need to take place. You will be sent a confirmation letter from UCAS and a welcome letter from your university with further instructions of what to do next. If you achieved higher grades than you were expecting and would prefer to try to gain a place at a different university or on a different course, you have five calendar days to manoeuvre. You must register with UCAS to use ‘Adjustment’, which can be found in the ‘Track’ section of UCAS. You then need to research what places are available by contacting universities’ admissions offices directly. However, the vacancies available change daily so be prepared to call several times. Preparation is key. It is worth making a list of telephone numbers and contacts of the university departments in which you are interested. You can then hit the ground running should you find yourself in this situation. You may want to discuss the pros and cons of different subjects with a careers adviser as it would be unproductive to make a rushed decision. If you do not find an alternative course, after five days your original firm offer will be accepted automatically. If you did not get the grades for your firm choice, it may be that you receive a ‘changed course’ offer. This means that your firm choice university is unable to accept you for your original course but has offered you an alternative. You have five days to reply, after which you will automatically accept your insurance choice, unless you decline it and decide to enter ‘Clearing’. If you did not get the grades for your firm choice, but did for your insurance choice, then, as long as you are happy with this, you can confirm your place and UCAS will send you a confirmation letter. If you decline this place, then you can move automatically into ‘Clearing’. ‘Clearing’ is a service whereby universities advertise vacancies that have arisen as a result of students missing their required grades, or where the number of places on offer has exceeded demand. Vacancy lists are published in The Telegraph and on the UCAS website. Contact the universities directly to see if they will accept you. If they will, then you can enter one choice on the ‘Track’ page of your UCAS application. The university will then formally accept you, and UCAS will write to confirm your place. Natalie is the founder of myuniapplication.com. She can discuss your university and career options in one-to-one sessions and give you expert guidance on your personal statement and interviews. She also offers subject-specific mentoring. For more information, contact Natalie Lancer on 07747 612 513 or at [email protected]. www.myuniapplication.com MyUniApplication.com Top tips for Results Day: 1. Make sure you are in the country, or, if this is not possible, check that you have access to a reliable telephone and internet connection. 2. If you decide to change course as a result of your grades, think about your career goals and discuss options with a professional. 3. Research university courses before committing yourself to one. 4. Be prepared to write a new draft of your personal statement if you change course, and show it to a personal statement specialist. 5. Be prepared to have an impromptu telephone interview or, in some cases, an interview for your new course, if you decide to change.