As thousands of students scramble for university places, Donald MacLeod explains the system that finds the courses with vacancies

What is Clearing?
It's the service run by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) to match students without places with courses that still have vacancies.

Who uses Clearing?
Mostly students who have not gained the A-level or Highers grades they needed to meet conditional offers from their chosen university or college. Clearing can also be used to make a late application.

How many students are involved?
Despite the hullabaloo, numbers have been falling from 54,401 in 1997 to 50,650 in 1998 and 48,239 last year, although this was partly accounted for by an increase in late registrations in the wake of controversy over tuition fees. People, especially mature students, seem to have waited to see what their financial position would be before applying. An increasing number of people apply very late in the day, often directly to one college or university, rather than going through the year-long applications process.

How is it going this year?
By 11am on Thursday morning, 1,347 had found a course compared with around 2,500 at the same time in 1999. The numbers eligible for clearing were also down on last year, at 84,000 compared with 90,080. Far more students have got their first choice - this year conditional offers to a total of 190,793 people were confirmed. Many more will be able to negotiate entry to their first or second choice if they have missed the grades by a small margin. Institutions may well prefer to take a student they already know a bit about from their application.

Who is eligible for Clearing?
Any applicant not holding an offer from a university or college. You must turn down any existing offer before Ucas will allow you into Clearing.

What do applicants need to do?
If you are eligible for Clearing, you don't need to ask Ucas for details. They will send you a Clearing entry form (CEF) and instructions booklet automatically. Then it is up to students to take advice from teachers and career advisers and start contacting the universities and colleges about the courses that interest them. Ucas recommends that you telephone, e-mail or call in person and keep your CEF handy - you will probably be asked for your number and exam results.

Is it a race?
Every year Clearing seems to become more frenetic. Yesterday morning the Ucas website registered 129,613 full searches. Young people hit the phones to universities and colleges as soon as they get their exam results - that is why there has been such a furore in Scotland where delayed Highers results could mean English and Welsh applicants get a head start in chasing the best courses.

Will all the best courses will be snapped up by the first weekend after the A-level results?
Definitely not. A lot of informal offers are made at this stage. Student rings university A. "Would you take me to study X with my grades?" "Yes," says the admissions tutor. Student rings university B, college C - possibly 10 or a dozen institutions to find the best offer. The upshot is that days and weeks pass before the true situation becomes clear.

What do I do when a university or college offers me a place?
If an institution is happy that you meet its requirements, it will probably ask you to send it your CEF. Ucas advises: "Don't be hasty. When someone asks for your CEF, they are, effectively, making you an offer. Make sure they are genuinely interested in your application. If you are sure the course is for you, fill in your CEF and send it off - or better still, take it there yourself. The best way to find out more about a university or college, its accommodation and social life, is to make a visit."

Can I shop around?
Yes, but remember that your CEF can only be sent to one institution at a time. The university or college will insist that you send the original form, not a photocopy or fax. So if you're not convinced its course is for you, politely explain and carry on telephoning.

How do I know if I've got a place?
When it has received your CEF, a university or college will write to you either to offer you a place or send back your form. If you decline the offer, or you do not get one, your CEF will be returned and you can keep looking. If you accept the offer, the university or college will confirm your place to Ucas and it will send you an official letter.

How long does Clearing last?
You can get a place until the start of the academic term in September or even October but the majority of students get sorted out fairly quickly.

Useful links
Special report: Clearing 2000