Jay had a conditional offer to study medicine at university last year. But when they didn’t get the grades they needed on results day, they had to think again. “I remember feeling devastated,” they say, adding that the feeling only alleviated when they found there were places to study chemistry at York available through Clearing. “Before I even considered medicine, I had wanted to do chemistry and York had always been my dream university. I called and the lady I spoke to was incredibly empathetic. She congratulated me on my results, paused to make sure I was OK, and made me feel like I was making the right decision. I went from feeling that I hadn’t achieved enough to feeling wanted.”
Clearing is a way for students to secure a place at the end of the application cycle, but increasingly it’s not just those who miss their grades that take this option. A third of applicants have either changed their mind about their chosen course or university, or achieved better grades than expected. This shift suggests that Clearing is increasingly being seen as a strategic move for students, rather than a last-minute scramble.
At the University of York, Clearing is an incredibly busy time, says Maxine Charlton, deputy head of admissions. The Clearing team speaks to every caller on the phone before passing them through to the academic department they’re interested in. Students who receive a verbal offer for a place in Clearing will typically have two to three days to accept through the Ucas Hub.
“Some institutions have moved their Clearing processes online but we want to help the students make sure they’re doing the right thing for their future,” Charlton says about running the phone line. “It’s really important groundwork so that we can support them to choose the right course in the first place, and make the process as easy for them as possible.” York also offers guaranteed accommodation for applicants who hold an unconditional offer when applying through Clearing, providing additional peace of mind to applicants at what can be a stressful time.
After some initial apprehension about going through Clearing, Jay describes their experience at York as “overwhelmingly positive”. They’ve found the city lively, picturesque and student friendly. The student cohort is diverse, with applicants from 150 countries, and there are hundreds of societies and sports clubs to get involved with. Plus, York has been ranked as one of the Guardian’s happiest places to live in Britain, and offers easy access to the Yorkshire countryside and coastline, as well as the rest of the UK. “Being a student here means you’re always surrounded by history, beautiful green space, and a strong sense of community,” says Jay. On top of that, the University of York is one of only four UK universities, along with Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, to have both a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, which provides information students may want to consider when deciding what and where to study, and a top 10 ranking for research quality. This distinction highlights the university’s excellence in both teaching and research.
As well as quality of education, employability is an increasingly important factor for students weighing up universities. In the latest survey from the communications agency Havas, which polled 1,500 16- to 20-year-olds who were considering university in the next two years, 38% said it was for better career opportunities or access to more employers, and 37% said it was to gain a specific qualification for their dream job. “Return on investment is so important to prospective students now,” says Rachael Brothwell, York’s head of information and engagement – careers and placements. “A lot of people don’t have the luxury of going to university just because it’s furthering their studies.”
The university is ranked in the top 25 Best UK Universities for Work Experience 2025-26, and in the government’s latest Graduate Outcomes Survey (covering those who finished their degrees in 2021-22), 93.5% of York graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation. But part of that employability success is also down to its personalised approach. Each student takes part in the York Strengths programme in the first year, which helps them identify where their skills lie, which areas would benefit from more development, and which careers might be a good fit.
“It’s important for students to start thinking about their career in the first year so they can use the rest of their time here to get the skills and experience they need for high quality applications in their final year,” adds Brothwell. “It can be an overwhelming prospect but our Your Career Journey visual tool breaks down all the steps, year by year. The first year is all about understanding yourself, the second year is about building up experience, and the third year is for making applications.”
Students have the opportunity to do a placement year, even if it’s not a traditional part of their degree, and the university offers support with interview practice and CV writing. It also runs the York for Life platform, which gives graduates career support far beyond the end of their time at university. “A lot of institutions offer support for 15 months after graduation but not many offer it for life, which we do,” says Brothwell.
That commitment to ongoing support is an important aim of the university’s philanthropic arm. At York, the University of Opportunity fund provides bursaries and scholarships and there is a range of programmes and initiatives to support under-represented groups, such as care leavers, those with a low household income, and students with a disability. “We were the first of the Russell Group universities to sign the Social Mobility Pledge so we’ve got that history of trying to broaden our audience, and understanding the pressures on students who want to stay in education but are struggling to afford it,” says Brothwell.
Jay is already thinking about career options, and eventually plans to specialise in biological and medicinal chemistry. But for now, they’ve thrown themselves into university life by taking German lessons, volunteering as a chemistry course rep, and joining the Barbell Club. “That’s what I really love about York. There’s always so much going on, which has made it easy to explore new interests and meet people from all walks of life,” they add. “Applying to York through Clearing was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
To those considering Clearing this year, they offer this advice: “Don’t be afraid to embrace the unexpected. If things don’t go to plan, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end. It might just be the start of something even better.”
Top five tips for Clearing
The University of York’s deputy head of admissions, Maxine Charlton, offers her advice:
1 Keep calm and be patient – places are first come, first served so the phone lines are likely to be extremely busy on results day. Please be patient!
2 Prepare as much in advance as possible – attend open days, go on campus tours, and look on the Ucas website to think about the course and/or university that you’d be open to considering. Make sure you have good internet access, and have your Ucas number and results to hand before you call. It’s also a good idea to have written down the phone numbers of the universities in advance so you’re not trying to find them on the day.
3 Look beyond the course – the course is important but so is where you’re going to be living for at least three years. Think about what you like doing outside of university. If you like to go rock climbing, for example, choose somewhere that can offer that locally.
4 Be flexible – perhaps you really want to study sociology but the course is oversubscribed. Talk to the university about other options that might share some of the same modules. Social policy, for example, could be a good alternative.
5 Call the university yourself – your parents or supporters will want to help, but universities really need to speak to the applicant themselves. We know it’s a big deal and we promise to get you through the process as easily as we can.
Find out more about Clearing – and the opportunities it opens – at the University of York, ranked 12th in the UK and number one in Yorkshire and the Humber (Complete University Guide).
