Race for places on results day sees phones ring red hot

16/08/07

Race for places on results day sees phones ring red hot

Kingston University’s Clearing headquarters has been flooded with inquiries from anxious A-Level students since results were released this morning (Thursday 16 August). By 11.00am Clearing hotline operators had taken nearly 2,300 phone calls from higher education hopefuls competing for the few remaining places on degree courses.

Lines opened at 8.30am and UK Marketing Manager Dr Mike Pollard, who is responsible for student recruitment, said it looked as though competition would be fierce for places on popular courses. “The first few hours on results day are always the busiest for us as students pick up their results,” he said. “Often, these days, they are straight on their mobile phones calling the clearing hotline to maximise their chances of getting their perfect place. Spots on popular courses will be snapped up quickly so the message is still don’t delay, call the hotline now.”

Third-year student Arti Mehta, who is helping out at hotline headquarters this year, knows how students will be feeling and is hoping to put them at ease. The 21-year-old from Croydon called the Clearing hotline herself two years ago and snapped up a place to study economics and English at Kingston University after a last-minute decision to go back to the books. “The operator was very helpful and put me through to a course tutor who interviewed me over the phone,” she said. “Luckily, there were still a few spaces left and a week later my university career was back on track again after I got an offer letter through the post.”

• Find out more about Clearing at Kingston University.