Students who don’t get the A-level results they are after this summer should not panic, according to the Head of Admissions at the University of Sussex. 

With the government lifting restrictions on the number of university places from this year, students receiving their results on Thursday 13 August have more options than ever before. 

Rob Evans, Head of Admissions at Sussex, said: “If you have missed the conditions of your conditional offer, the first advice we’d always give would be not to panic. 

“You need to look first on UCAS Track to see what, if any, decision has been taken by your Firm choice university and also, if you have one, by your Insurance choice. At Sussex, we carefully review the cases of applicants who have missed their conditions - especially where we are the Firm choice - and, depending on available space, will still accept students who have narrowly missed their conditions. 

“If you check UCAS Track and there is still no decision then you should call the university concerned to find out what is happening. We would advise against visiting the university in person. In most cases, applicants do not live close to their chosen institution, so it is much quicker and easier to pick up the phone rather than get in the car or race to catch a train. More importantly, traveling to the university will not alter the decision made, so there is no advantage in spending the time making the journey.” 

If the Firm choice university has not yet been able to reach a decision, they should hopefully be able to give an indication of when the decision will be reached and there are still things that applicants can do while they are waiting: 

• If they have an Insurance choice then the student needs to check on the situation with that institution (especially as it might mean that they have a definite place elsewhere, which may reduce some of the anxiety in waiting for their Firm choice);
• If they have no Insurance choice (or have not been successful at the Insurance institution) then the student can begin exploring what options might be available in Clearing. They won’t officially enter Clearing until they have an unsuccessful decision from both their Firm and Insurance choices, but it would be sensible to begin exploring what vacancies exist by checking the UCAS clearing listings;
• Students should also look on the listings on individual university webpages, especially as these often give more detail than on the UCAS website. At Sussex, for example, our Clearing web pages show what A-level grades we require for each course, as well as any other specific requirements (e.g. particular GCSEs), enabling applicants to see whether they meet our Clearing requirements;
• Students are also welcome to telephone universities to discuss options, with most institutions having dedicated Clearing Call Centres (for Sussex, call 01273 678416). We may not be able to make a formal offer until there is a decision from the Firm choice, but we should be able to indicate whether vacancies exist and whether students meet requirements for consideration. 

Tens of thousands of students are expected to gain university places this year through Clearing and Adjustment, the annual process co-ordinated by UCAS to fill remaining university places. 

Rob had some general advice for those looking in Clearing. He said: “It’s important to reach a considered decision, even though timescales are very tight. 

“It may be that you are interested in a place at a university whose offer you previously declined. This is fine. Universities recognise that situations change and if an applicant wants to come back, and meets the Clearing requirements, we will be very happy to reconsider them. In fact, going back to an institution you previously declined has advantages as it normally means you are making a more informed decision, especially if you previously visited that university. 

“On the other hand, if you are looking either at a completely new course, or at an institution you have never previously visited or considered, then it’s important to do additional research: look on the university webpages, read the online prospectus, see if there are online campus tours, Google the local town or city to get an idea of what the local area is like, check out the transport links. 

“The Clearing process happens quickly but it’s important to make the right decision, so don’t just accept the first Clearing offer you receive. Many universities will run open days for Clearing students in the days immediately after A-level publication day, so ask about these. Nothing beats visiting an institution to find out if it feels right for you.” 

There may also be other routes into your chosen course or university. 

Rob said: “At Sussex, we offer foundation years in a large number of subjects. These are courses with an additional (bridging) year, enabling students without the requirements to enter directly into the first year to still come to Sussex by taking a further year of study. We also have students who decide to take a gap year and resit their exams, before re-applying. Obviously, with changes to A-level curriculums, this is not always a possibility, but it is worth remembering that some students will choose not to rush through Clearing and to instead step back, re-sit and re-apply.”