Half of university clearing places gone in four days

It has only been four days since this year's A-level students received their exam results, but the rush for university places is well underway.

Over 50% of the 22,000 university places available through the "clearing" system have already been snapped up. The number of students who have secured a university place through clearing has already reached 12,318 according to the latest figures from Ucas. This compares with a total of 7,500 who found a university place in this way last year.

The total number of people who are eligible to apply for a university place through the clearing system is 141,130, according to Ucas. This is 22,600 more students than last year.

There are several reasons why students qualify for the clearing process. One is because they have not met the grades required by their first choice of university; another is that they have chosen not to take up an offer. Alternatively they may not have received any offers, or they may have changed their minds from an initial decision not to apply to a university.

Indeed, the clearing figures bear out earlier predictions by analysts that the recession would create an unprecedented demand for university places. Rising unemployment has evidently made school-leavers think twice about attempting to enter the job market.

Applicants who have not yet secured a university place for this autumn's intake are encouraged to apply now!