Guide to calling university Clearing hotlines

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If you’re going through Clearing, there’s every chance you’ll be picking up the phone and calling a university Clearing hotline. 

As nerve-wracking as it may sound, the whole point of these hotlines is to help you find a place on a course at a university you’re happy with. The best advice we can give you is to call them fully prepared. This means understanding what’s likely to happen during the call and what pieces of information you’ll need to get the ball rolling on finding a course. 

What will you need when calling a Clearing hotline?

It’s likely you’ll be asked for some key bits of info. Before calling, make sure you have:

• Your UCAS ID and Clearing number
• Your grades, with UCAS points if applicable
• Pen and paper or phone so you can make notes
• Your personal statement

You should also have a look at the courses you’d like to be placed on. Show the advisor on the phone you’ve done your research by looking at things like entry requirements, specific modules, and even the location of the uni.

Your personal statement will come in handy here. Pick out key points from it to help you justify why the course you’re interested in is right for you. Do some of the modules tap into a specific interest you mention in your statement? Have you changed your mind about your future plans and does this course better reflect that? 

What happens when you call a Clearing hotline?

You’ll be asked to provide the details above and may also be asked questions about the course you’re interested in. It helps to treat this like a mini-interview, so think about how you’d answer questions like:

• Why do you want to study this course?
• Why do you want to study at this university?
• What have you done outside of school that demonstrates an interest in this subject?

Make notes to help jog your memory if you’re asked these questions, but don’t treat them like a script. We know it can be stressful, and a few bullet points are written down beforehand to guide you will help your answers come across more naturally rather than sounding rehearsed.

Where can you find Clearing hotline numbers?

You can get the Clearing hotline numbers you need by searching for Clearing courses on Whatuni. You can use our handy tool to look for Clearing spaces in any subjects that interest you, or see what unis have Clearing spaces too.

Search for the course or university you’re interested in and click on the 'call now' button to reveal the number you need.