Be quick off the mark for top uni clearing spots, students told

Students volition request to beryllium "quick disconnected the mark" to get a spot astatine a apical assemblage done clearing this year, according to the caput of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas).

Clare Marchant said "highly selective courses" would "go rather quickly".

But she said determination would beryllium a "wide scope of opportunities" elsewhere.

Clearing allows students who privation to spell to assemblage to hunt for courses that inactive person vacancies.

It is often utilized by those who missed the A-level oregon equivalent grades they needed to instrumentality up a assemblage offer.

But it is besides utilized by applicants who achieved higher grades than they expected, oregon who person changed their minds.

Results for A-levels, T-levels, BTecs and different Level 3 results volition beryllium released adjacent week connected 17 August.

The fig of 18-year-olds successful the colonisation is growing, truthful it could beryllium much competitory to get a spot astatine universities asking for the highest grades, similar elite Russell Group universities.

Applications to undergraduate courses from planetary students are besides up somewhat connected past year.

Ms Marchant told the PA News Agency that "highly selective courses astatine highly selective institutions" would spell rapidly successful clearing.

"Places are filled up quicker and truthful determination are somewhat little successful clearing and the competitory worldly that is successful clearing is apt to spell faster," she said. "So certainly, my proposal to students...is to beryllium beauteous speedy disconnected the people if that's what you're looking for."

In a abstracted connection sent to BBC News, Ms Marchant said applications this twelvemonth were "likely to beryllium much competitory than successful caller years".

She said astir students who privation to spell to assemblage "will person secured their preferred choice", and determination remained a "wide scope of opportunities" for students - with 28,000 courses presently disposable done clearing.

The Russell Group said it was "not unusual" for its subordinate universities to person "fewer courses than different universities successful clearing".

"The confirmation from Ofqual that people distributions volition instrumentality to 2019 levels has fixed universities much assurance successful making offers compared to past year, which whitethorn mean universities person little flexibility to connection courses successful clearing successful immoderate subjects," it said.

"However, astir Russell Group universities person courses disposable successful clearing this year, crossed a scope of subjects, arsenic they person done successful past years and much courses volition go disposable aft results day."

Clearing closes connected 17 October.

Last year, 34,875 18-year-olds secured a assemblage spot done the system.

Ms Marchant said past period that portion determination is simply a "small gradual diminution successful the fig of courses" successful clearing, "we indispensable collectively reassure applicants that determination volition inactive beryllium plentifulness of choices disposable for those inactive actively seeking progression to HE aft results day".

Students successful Scotland received their exam results connected Thursday. The walk complaint fell - but remains higher than earlier the Covid pandemic.

Results successful England are predicted to autumn backmost successful enactment with pre-pandemic levels this year, aft 3 years of higher grades.

However, due to the fact that of the disruption caused by Covid, exam boards volition beryllium "slightly" much lenient than earlier the pandemic erstwhile deciding people boundaries. This volition support students who performed somewhat little good successful these exams than expected.

Pupils successful Wales and Northern Ireland were fixed beforehand accusation astir papers this twelvemonth - but that was not the lawsuit successful England.

What questions bash you person astir results day? Whether you person queries astir A-levels, GCSEs, Highers oregon vocational courses, you tin get successful interaction by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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