What to do on A-level results day

With A-level results day taking place on Thursday, now is the time to read this excellent piece about what to do if you do – or don’t – get the grades you expected.

Verity Law is a Senior Marketing Officer in the University of Northampton’s Schools and Colleges Liaison team. She spends the vast majority of her time visiting schools and colleges to talk to potential students about studying at the University, so is well-placed to offer some expert advice.

Verity said: “A-level students can check the status of their university offers on Thursday on UCAS Track. This will let them know if they are in Clearing, or on their way to their firm or insurance-choice university.

If your results aren’t what you had hoped for, and you’re now exploring your options, my message is – don’t panic. It might sound easier said than done, but you have to remember that thousands of students go to university through Clearing every year and go on to have an amazing experience.

Each University will have a Clearing hotline – ours is 01604 214808 – or visit the Clearing section of our website.

Before you call, make sure you have your grades, UCAS ID and personal statement to hand. At UON we have teams waiting to talk you through what our courses involve, we may also ask you some questions about why you’ve chosen the subject, which is where your personal statement comes in handy. The later you call, the higher the chance that a course will become full, so don’t leave it too late, but give yourself time to look at the University website and modules so that you know you’re calling about a course you can see yourself studying.

Verity Law from our Schools and Colleges Liaison team.

Any students who call us at Northampton can apply safe in the knowledge that we have accommodation available for Clearing applicants, and we also have a virtual Open Day on Saturday 15 August where you can speak to academic teams and student services.

We switched to virtual Open Days during the pandemic, with everything done online, and it’s worked really well, with people able to find the answers to all of their questions about courses and life at University.

While the Open Day is online, I must stress that we’ve been working hard for months to make sure the campus is ready to physically welcome students in September. We’ve implemented a variety of new measures to ensure everybody will be safe to attend in person.

Always remember that we understand that University is a huge investment, if you’ve got a question just ask, we will probably have heard it before!

If things have gone well, congratulations, before you celebrate make sure that you’ve done everything you need to for your student finance and accommodation applications and read any emails your University sends so that you’re in the know on what your first term will look like.”