Clearing through UCAS is far from a last-ditch tactic for the desperate, these days even Russell Group universities use it, says Katie Hughes
Above, due to fewer numbers of 18-year-olds, qualified students are sought after
Not long ago, applying for a university place through Clearing was likely to propel you towards a course you didn?t particularly want, at a university you didn?t particularly like. Not so today.
This year Clearing offered students more than 40,000 courses and enabled record numbers to take up places at a wider range of universities than ever before ? Russell Group names among them.
A positive solution
?There?s less stigma attached to Clearing, these days? says Wendy Heydorn, Director of Higher Education at Sevenoaks School in Kent ?and the quality of courses available can be good.? She tells of pupils who have even gained places for prestigious courses such as applied psychology at Durham, law at Queen Mary and economics at Exeter. ?In recent years, most universities have used Clearing for at least some of their courses, including those with the highest requirements,? says Louise Evans, Head of Adviser Experience at UCAS. Many schools are similarly upbeat about Clearing. ?We see it as a very positive solution ? much more so in the past couple of years, with student number controls lifted and more Russell Group universities participating,? says Sharon Allmark, Head of Careers and Higher Education at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire.

Schools even talk ...