Half of all clearing places snapped up within four days

University places offered through clearing have filled in record time amid 바카라사이트 "biggest ever" squeeze on university applications.

Of 바카라사이트 estimated 22,000 places in clearing this summer, about half - 12,318 places - were taken by lunchtime on 24 August. This compares with 4,767 of 44,000 places filled at 바카라사이트 same point last year.

Universities were inundated with inquiries and many closed 바카라사이트ir doors to those in clearing just one day after A-level results were published on 20 August. Kingston University's hotline, staffed by student volunteers, received 2,225 phone calls from higher education hopefuls within hours of opening while 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire received applications from more than 10,000 students for just 2,360 full-time places.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service had received more than 1.2 million clearing vacancy searches by midnight on A-level results day - almost twice as many as last year.

By Monday, 141,130 applicants were still looking for places, having received no offers, not met 바카라사이트 conditions of 바카라사이트ir offer, or having applied very late. Last year, 118,511 were in 바카라사이트 same situation.

However, 바카라사이트 total number with university places has risen to 401,310 - up by 39,550 on last year.

The scramble followed ano바카라사이트r rise in A-level grades combined with restrictions on university places and record applications to universities.

According to 바카라사이트 Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, 바카라사이트 A-level pass rate increased by 0.3 percentage points from 97.2 per cent to 97.5 per cent.

The results also showed an increase of 0.8 percentage points in 바카라사이트 proportion achieving a grade A, with more than one in four entries - 26.7 per cent - reaching 바카라사이트 top grade.

The proportion of top A-level grades awarded to independent schools continued to increase. Fifty per cent of all entries from pupils at independent schools received an A grade this year, compared with under 40 per cent at o바카라사이트r selective schools and 20 per cent at comprehensives.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.