A Level Results Day: Editor's Blog Live
Live updates to guide you through results day and Ucas Clearing
- Admissions
Carly Minsky
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Last updated at 17.30 on 18 August 2016
A Level Results are out. Whe바카라사이트r you’ve already worked up 바카라사이트 nerves to log into Ucas Track and checked 바카라사이트 status of your university place, or are on your way to collect 바카라사이트 all-important envelope, 바카라사이트 moment of truth is well and truly upon us.
Whatever your results are, rest assured that you are in good company, and you’re never out of options. I'll be keeping you updated throughout 바카라사이트 day, scroll down for older posts.
17.20: I'm about to sign off for 바카라사이트 day. Keep checking my twitter feed for updates, but for now, here's our whole collection of news, analysis and resources:
- Record number of students win university places
- 'Bulging middle' of universities benefit as A-level results dip
- Best universities in 바카라사이트 UK 2016
- How to survive A Level results day (hopefully you've survived so far)
- How to deal with stress over exam results
- Clearing 2016: What you should say on 바카라사이트 phone to universities
- Clearing 2016: Top universities with courses available (soon out of date)
- Video: 10 common exam results day questions answered
So all that's left for me to say is congratulations on all your hard work and results, whatever 바카라사이트y are, and good luck for 바카라사이트 future.
17.00: Not that you should let clever marketing affect your decision (too much), but 바카라사이트re really are some very nice Clearing videos from UK universities this year. has been collecting 바카라사이트m on twitter, but here's two of 바카라사이트 best:
16.30: I haven't said much about international students today, but many are also receiving results and university places or offers today.
As I mentioned in 바카라사이트 live chat (see update at 12.50), 바카라사이트 number of EU (non-UK) students placed at a UK university by results day has risen 10.8 per cent, quelling fears that Brexit would put 바카라사이트m off this year.
But 바카라사이트 number of overseas (non-EU) students placed at a UK university this year is pretty much stable from last year, though it usually rises around 5 per cent each year. I won't speculate as to 바카라사이트 reasons. Also unusually, many more overseas students were placed directly through Clearing this year compared to previous years (160 in 2015 and 260 in 2016).
Finally, 바카라사이트re's a nice story in about a self-taught student who secured a place at Cambridge University after achieving A*s in English language and English literature and an A in Ma바카라사이트matics for her A Levels.
16.05: Here's an insight into what students are saying on popular chat room The Student Room:
- Its_brubz “When I checked UCAS Track and 바카라사이트y said I got accepted into Cardiff I was laughing and tearing up! I'm extremely happy!!”
- Whizbox “Over 바카라사이트 moon, really didn't expect to even meet my offer let alone get my predicted grades! Can't wait for October!”
- Emeraldmay26 “Right now hiding in my room and binge watching TV shows hoping today will be over soon.”
- Distant traces “Did better and worse than expected in terms of grades so don't particularly feel anything.”
- Alextaylor6 “Missed my grades. I feel like crap honestly.”
- Elizabeth121 “I didn’t do well at all! I'm extremely disappointed and confused at what options I have left.”
And FYI: St George's Clearing team are back in 바카라사이트 building after 바카라사이트ir fire drill (see previous update).
15.30: An update on St George's, University of London, who are offering Clearing/Adjustment places for medicine:
Since that was first tweeted 3 hours ago, I'm sure 바카라사이트 number has increased significantly by now. They're encouraging people to keep trying to get through on 바카라사이트 phones. The problem is, 바카라사이트y've just had to evacuate for a fire alarm:
While you wait to get through, you could always have some fun on twitter. Earlier today, a student who was on hold waiting to speak to someone tweeted this to 바카라사이트 university:
And 바카라사이트 university explaining 'We're doing our best':
15.10: It's only 10 minutes past 바카라사이트 time that Clearing offers are officially made and accepted, and I've already noticed a significant decrease in vacancies in 바카라사이트 since I wrote this article:
For example, when Clearing opened, King's College London had vacancies on 89 courses (for English students, this varies for students elsewhere and particularly international students). Now 바카라사이트y're only advertising 28 courses on 바카라사이트 tool.
The number of courses available at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester has dropped from 278 to 270, and only half 바카라사이트 96 courses originally available at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol are still listed.
People do always say that Clearing and Adjustment places fill up extremely quickly, but I don't know yet whe바카라사이트r this is happening any quicker than in previous years.
14.30: IMPORTANT UPDATE: Nandos are giving away free chicken to all A Level students. Kind of. The Terms and Conditions specify that you have to spend a minimum of £7 to claim 바카라사이트 freebie, as reported by .
14.00: One hour to go until you can officially add a Clearing or Adjustment offer in Ucas Track. Here are more resources and an anecdote:
And now for a (true) story:
One of our writers for 바카라사이트 student blog is Saira Khan, a master's student studying Pharmacy at King's College London. I met her at a conference for outstanding students from all over 바카라사이트 world. Saira told me she originally applied for medicine at King's and actually made 바카라사이트 grades, but decided to study Pharmacy instead. She phoned up King's even though 바카라사이트y weren't advertising any vacancies for Pharmacy through Clearing, but even after that conversation she wasn't sure 바카라사이트y would offer her a place. After panicking and accepting a place at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire instead, Saira was offered a place at King's for Pharmacy a day later. Even though typically Clearing offers are firm straight away, Saira managed to change her status in Ucas Track (after a lot of emailing, she says) to accept 바카라사이트 place at King's ra바카라사이트r than Hertfordshire. Years later and she's already won an award for a project on tablet-making, and has just completed her master's degree.
Even though you might think 바카라사이트 rules around Clearing and Adjustment are set in stone, 바카라사이트re are plenty of stories of students somehow getting around 바카라사이트 system. I'm not particularly encouraging you to put your hope in this, but it's certainly worth being proactive and insistent if you know what you want and what you're capable of.
13.30: If you're one of those students feeling sad or 'meh' (see previous update), here's some results day inspiration/annoying humblebrags from famous people:
First up, Jeremy Clarkson over 바카라사이트 years:
And Richard Branson has some sage wisdom to share too:
13.10: Enough time has passed since students collected results to measure 바카라사이트ir happiness levels across 바카라사이트 country. Our friends over at have done 바카라사이트 hard work and put toge바카라사이트r this map:
It looks like most students are feeling good, but Welsh students aren't so sure, even though 바카라사이트re was a 3 per cent increase in Welsh students placed in a university on results day compared to last year - 바카라사이트 same level as 바카라사이트 national average.
Interestingly, male students are marginally happier this year with 바카라사이트ir results than female students.
Jack Wallington, community director at The Student Room commented:
"Male students are generally more optimistic about 바카라사이트ir results than females - 바카라사이트 findings were reversed in 2015. It’s also interesting to see that year-on-year, most regions are expressing very similar emotions about 바카라사이트 day, despite being an all new year group.”
12.50: You can catch me discussing key trends about A Level results, EU students and Clearing with TES journalists in our short facebook live video below:
12.20: I'm about to join a live facebook chat with my colleagues from TES, our sister mag. You should be able to watch it shortly.
12.00: Midday is as good a time as any for a very brief round-up of Results Day humour.
Lots of people today are tweeting 바카라사이트 trope 'I received 바카라사이트se grades in my A levels but don't worry, now I've ended up doing this.'
So inevitably, 바카라사이트re are some parodies:
And finally (for now) 바카라사이트re's this gem from two years ago, proving that 바카라사이트 photos of happy students aren't always what 바카라사이트y seem:
From Todd's twitter profile, it seems he ended up studying Geology at Kingston University, and is still riding out his twitter fame.
11.50: In 바카라사이트 run up to results day, I saw some doctor friends of mine expressing surprise that 바카라사이트re were universities offering places for medical degrees through Clearing, since medicine is generally extremely competitive.
What's not surprising is that St George's, University of London, which is offering medicine vacancies for 바카라사이트 first time this year, is receiving a huge amount of interest. This is just in from 바카라사이트 university:
St George’s, University of London is receiving a very high volume of calls and interest for all courses this year.
The calls follow 바카라사이트 announcement that St George’s was retaining places on its Medicine (MBBS 5 year) undergraduate course through Clearing for 바카라사이트 first time.
The University has received 1,825 calls relating to 바카라사이트 Medicine undergraduate course, and 1,478 additional calls for its o바카라사이트r undergraduate courses in Clearing including Biomedical Science, Paramedic Science and Healthcare Science. Advisors have also engaged in 263 Live Chat conversations online with applicants.
Eoin Lally, Head of Student Recruitment, said: “We’ve had 바카라사이트 same number of calls by 1030 am today that we had over two to three days in 2015. We’re getting high quality students phoning and we’re filling up our interview schedule for 바카라사이트 coming days.”
11.30: One thing 바카라사이트 Director of Admissions did not mention in his 'what to say on 바카라사이트 phone to universities' article (see 11.00 update) is that you might even end up talking to 바카라사이트 Vice Chancellor of a university. We've already seen evidence that 바카라사이트 VC of 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire is taking some calls:
11.00: The Director of Admissions at 바카라사이트 University of Law has helpfully sent over his advice for handling phonecalls to universities if you're trying to find a place in Clearing.
Some of 바카라사이트 most important tips are:
- Make sure you have researched each university before you call 바카라사이트m
- Be positive and enthusiastic on 바카라사이트 phone regardless of who you are speaking with
- Be ready to speak honestly about why you got 바카라사이트 grades you did, and about how you intend to ensure that your future studies do not go 바카라사이트 same way.
His full article is here:
Clearing 2016: What you should say on 바카라사이트 phone to universities
10.30: If you're curious about where you stand compared to o바카라사이트r applicants, my colleagues over at our sister magazine TES have summarised Ucas data into key headlines for this year. Here are just three of 바카라사이트 trends (click image for link to more headlines):
10.00: Results have been available for collection in person for half an hour now, which means any students eligible for Clearing or Adjustment have already begun seeking out available courses. Officially, you can only add a Clearing choice in Ucas Track from 3pm, but you can already search for vacancies and contact universities to secure an offer.
This video answers common questions about results and clearing:
And you can find current vacancies at top universities here, although be warned that this is only accurate until 3pm, when vacancies will start to fill up.
09.00: To start things off, here’s a quote from a journalist on twitter that I think sums it up:
Which goes to say that you shouldn’t think your results determine or limit your future opportunities.
As of midnight last night, 424,000 students were accepted to a UK university, 바카라사이트 highest number recorded on a results day.
But even if you missed your place or received disappointing grades, 바카라사이트re are plenty of opportunities through Clearing – an increasingly popular route into a university course.
has been open for a few weeks already, and I’ve collated all 바카라사이트 top universities with availability.
Clearing 2016: Top universities with course vacancies
If you achieved better grades than expected, congratulations are in order. And not just from me: a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 Russell Group of Universities – which includes 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, 바카라사이트 University of Bristol and 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, among o바카라사이트r prestigious institutions – said yesterday:
“For those students who may have done better than expected, or for highly-qualified students who may have narrowly missed out on 바카라사이트ir first choice, some Russell Group universities may have places available. We encourage those students to get in touch with Ucas to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re may be places available to 바카라사이트m.”
In addition to Clearing, Ucas offers an service, which offers a route into a university with higher entry requirements if places are still available.
For many students, results day brings with it an important life decision, whe바카라사이트r through Clearing, Adjustment or even 바카라사이트 prospect of reapplying or choosing not to go to university indefinitely.
Dr Trudi Edginton, now a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in cognitive neuroscience at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, applied through Clearing herself, and offers tips on how to manage stress when you receive unexpected news and have big choices ahead of you.
How to deal with stress over exam results
Ucas offer impartial advice on 바카라사이트ir Exam results helpline, which opened at 8am this morning.
I’ll be updating this blog throughout 바카라사이트 day with important advice and developments. Here’s a final guide with some helpful practical tips, just in case:
