Results Day and Clearing

Results Day

You don’t need us to tell you that this can be either a very happy or a very difficult day; and you don’t need our advice about how to care for your child if it goes the wrong way. It’s the kind of day that parents are for. It’s just important to be around, if you possibly can. As well as a day of great happiness or great stress, it may also be a day when some decisions have to be made quite quickly:

• if your child got the required grades, he or she can take up the place which has been offered by the firm choice University;
• if your child has fallen just short of either or both of firm and insurance choices, he or she should ring the University to check out the situation.

Don't be afraid to try this and don't be afraid to push: Universities' estimates of grades and places are always a bit approximate, and they can't shoot you for trying.

But if there’s no chance of a place at either of the two Universities your child has chosen, there’s still the chance to get into University through UCAS Clearing this year, or to try again next year. You and your child may have clear feelings about this; but it’s also good to take advice from the school, for example.