Plymouth University prepares to guide students through 'Confirmation and Clearing'

More than 60 trained advisers will be on hand to guide prospective students through the transition into life at Plymouth University.

As A-level results are published on August 15, thousands of students will look to confirm their progress into higher education or transfer onto other programmes if they have exceeded their predicted grades.

Staff at Plymouth will be on hand to help, and they are expected to be busier than ever with more students making the campus their first choice.

Neil Hammacott, the University's Head of UK Recruitment and Admissions, said: “Plymouth University is going places, and we have increasing numbers of students wanting to join us for the next phase of our exciting journey.

"Our investment in world class research and teaching facilities has attracted numerous national and international awards, and gained us a place among the UK’s top 10 modern universities. And our guarantee to provide University-managed accommodation, for all those making us their first choice, demonstrates our commitment to giving students an unrivalled student experience during their time in the South West.”

For 2013, an increased number of existing students and staff will operate the regular Actionline, allowing people to obtain instant answers to queries about their application.

The Actionline, which last year dealt with in excess of 4,000 calls, will be staffed from 8am on Thursday 15 August, the day A-level results are published, finally closing at 4pm on Friday 23 August.

That will be supplemented with an interactive digital hub, which will provide the latest information – through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook - on course closures, vacancies and contact points and warn of any problems in the UCAS environment.

There will also be a specific schools and college hotline, which will deal directly with teachers who can then pass the latest information to their own students.

Preparations are also underway for a special Open Day on Sunday 18 August, to provide an opportunity for anyone wishing to join Plymouth University in September to have a last look and get a feel for the campus and culture.

Iola Nelson, Plymouth University's Undergraduate Student Recruitment Manager, added: “Confirmation and Clearing can be a nerve-wracking time for students and their families, but it is also a time when they can unlock a host of amazing new opportunities. We have a range of channels through which we will be engaging with prospective students and look forward to inspiring them to join the thousands of others making Plymouth their first-choice destination.”

The University’s Actionline number is 01752 585858, and more information about the confirmation and Clearing process is available from the University’s website at www.plymouth.ac.uk/clearing.

You can find Plymouth University's helpful guide for students looking to access university through the Clearing process here.