University of Derby admissions head discusses the biggest challenges for A-level results day
Tomorrow morning thousands of prospective students will be receiving their A-level results. Plenty of the first cohort since 2019 to sit exams will be elated. Others will be disappointed. What is certain is that admissions teams in universities across the country will be in for a busy day.
With less than 24 hours to go until results are published, Mike Youlton, interim head of admissions at the University of Derby, talks to Research Professional News about what he is expecting.
What is involved in preparing for A-level results day?
Results day is an important event in the university calendar, which requires a huge amount of effort, input and preparation from teams across the institution. While A-level results are not published to students until tomorrow, we are working hard behind the scenes to get ready for the big day. It is a particularly intense period for our admissions teams, who are working through and processing exam results.
In addition, we have a team of experienced advisors who will be handling calls through the university’s clearing hotline on results day and throughout the clearing period. They will be on hand to offer support and reassurance to anyone calling the university to find out what places are available. They will guide callers through the whole process and answer any questions they may have to help make it as easy and stress-free as possible.
What will be the biggest challenges on results day itself?
We are expecting results day to be very busy this year, with students looking to find a place at Derby. We recognise that results day is an anxious time for students, and we know this has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the subsequent impact on their studies.
According to a survey commissioned by the University of Derby, 72 per cent of students waiting for their A-level results—or equivalent—to be published this Thursday feel under pressure from their family, friends and teachers to do well in their exams.
As well as feeling under pressure to perform well, the survey revealed that 53 per cent of students found their A-levels more difficult than expected, 56 per cent are being kept awake at night worrying about their results and just 46 per cent have a backup plan if they don’t get the results they’re expecting.
A good way for students to be better prepared is for them to familiarise themselves with the clearing process and the universities that are going to be offering courses in clearing. There will be some fantastic options available for them to choose from, even if it means they don’t get to go to their first-choice university because they haven’t got the required grades.
How many staff members or volunteers are involved in the clearing process?
We have more than 550 members of staff supporting the clearing hotline this year.
Who are they?
Volunteers include a mix of full-time staff and students employed to support this activity.
When do you find out how many of your pre-clearing applicants have got their place or achieved their grades?
Ucas sent through the results on Friday 12 August, and we processed them over the weekend.
How many students do you hope to recruit through clearing?
We are expecting results day to be busy and have had more than 3,300 fast-track registrations for clearing, which reflects how much interest there is both nationally and locally in people wanting to go to university. Fast track enables students to register their interest in Derby before clearing and means they can avoid the results day rush.