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43,000 Scottish applicants gear up for university news

2 August 2010

UCAS is currently processing the exam results of approximately 43,000 applicants from Scotland, in advance of Scottish results day on Thursday 5 August.

UCAS figures released earlier in July show that 43,234 Scottish applicants this year have applied to university or college, an increase of 7,342 (20.5%) on 2009. This figure has been inflated by the inclusion of those applicants who would previously have used Scotland's CATCH system for applications to nursing and midwifery courses.*

Overall 31,030 Scots were accepted by universities and colleges last year, 29,244 at institutions in Scotland.

Andrea Robertson, Director of Customer & Application Services at UCAS offers some advice: 'It can be a stressful time for students who are awaiting news of their results. But it is important to to ensure that you understand your offers and the Clearing process. All the information you need can be found on ucas.com.'

Clearing for Scottish applicants begins on 5 August when vacancies will be advertised on ucas.com for students to apply. Expert advisers from UCAS will be on hand to answer questions on 0871 468 0 468 from 08:00 on results day.

Andrea continues: 'Remember that you need to be flexible. Our advice is to spend the time before results day looking at all the options available to you so you don't feel pressured into making rushed decisions on the 5 August. What you decide now could affect the next four years of your life.'

2,462 Scottish students found a place through Clearing last year, 2,331 at universities and colleges in Scotland.

Some advice for students:

  • Read through the information at ucas.com/clearing to find out how Clearing works.
  • Look on Track at ucas.com to check the status of your application and to get your Clearing number if you become eligible.
  • Make sure that you're available to speak to universities and colleges - treat your Clearing application like a job application - deal with it yourself. Don't leave it to your parents or friends to sort out.
  • Vacancies will be listed at ucas.com and also in the Scottish edition of the Independent on 5 August. Make sure that the content of the course meets your needs, and check the entry requirements.
  • Start contacting the universities and colleges about the courses that interest you as soon as you can. A university or college that is interested in you will ask for details such as your Clearing number and your Personal ID. You will probably also be asked questions about your exam results.
  • If you are accepted onto a course, the university or college will contact us and the offer will be displayed on Track.
  • If you need help applying through Clearing or have a query about your application, you can contact the UCAS helpline on 0871 468 0 468 - 08.00 - 19:00.
  • For expert, independent advice on applying for university or college, taking time out or choosing to enter employment speak to a specially trained advisor on the Exam Results Helpline - just call 0808 100 8000. Lines open on Wednesday 4 August until Saturday 28 August with extended hours on 5 August of 08:00 - 20:00.
 

*When adjusted to take CATCH into account - to help make a more direct comparison with 2009 applicant numbers - the percentage rise is 4.6 per cent. Applications previously processed by CATCH (Centralised Applications to Nursing and Midwifery Training Clearing House) have been processed by UCAS for the first time this year. A total of 6,915 applicants fall into this category, of which 5,694 are Scottish.

ENDS

UCAS is a charity and is the world's leading shared admissions service for higher education. We manage applications for full-time undergraduate courses, together with applications through GTTR (Graduate Teacher Training Registry), CUKAS (Conservatoires UK Admissions Service) and UKPASS (UK Postgraduate Application and Statistical Service). Since its inception in 1993, UCAS has processed around 30 million applications and placed over 5 million students on higher education courses.

Services include:

  • An informative website (www.ucas.com) enabling students and parents to access a wealth of information designed to help their application to higher education run smoothly.
  • A state-of-the-art contact centre (0871 468 0468) providing a point of contact for students, schools and higher education institutions.
  • An online application system.
  • A simple, straightforward tracking service enabling students and schools advisers to access up-to-date information about their applications at the click of a button.
  • Over 50 higher education events each year providing 250,000 students with face-to-face advice on the UCAS process. Internationally, we participated in events in over 12 countries and also provided training and professional development throughout Europe and beyond.
  • www.yougofurther.co.uk is UCAS' student networking site. It allows future and present applicants to interact with each other and provides further advice on higher education.
 

Media contacts

Darren Barker, Corporate Communications Executive, 01242 545723
Lisa Davies, Corporate Communications Officer, 01242 544619
Charlotte Knowles, Corporate Communications Manager, 01242 544987
Email: communications@ucas.ac.uk
Out of hours: 07768 740461

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