Clearing 2024: A-Level Results Day with MetFilm School
By William Boyd
09 August 2024
You’ve been working hard for two years and now results day is just around the corner.
By mid-morning on Thursday August 15th, you’ll know your A-level results and whether you have those all-important grades you need for your planned next steps.
Many universities offer places based on a student’s predicted grades and it’s worth knowing that even if you don’t get your predicted grades, you can still get into university, if you want to. Last year 38,000 students found university places through Clearing.
And it’s not too late to apply for one of the many creative, career-focused Undergraduate Courses starting this year at MetFilm School London or Leeds. Both have clearing hotlines and friendly, helpful admissions teams on hand to guide you every step of the way.
Here’s their Top 5 tips if your A-level results are unexpected.
1. Ready, steady… research.
It’s worth spending some time considering and researching a Plan B before you get your results. Have a look for similar courses to your chosen one, which might have lower entry requirements. For example, if you’ve applied to do Media Studies why not look at courses with Media, such as Content, Media, and Film production, or for some courses check the requirements comparing a BA with a BSc. If your heart is set on a particular university look at their clearing pages now and register with them to save time on Thursday August 15th – if you do have to call them during Clearing.
2. Stay calm!
It’s the moment you’ve been working towards and the computer screen or that piece of paper is telling you your dreams shattered. Remember this is just a blip, a bump in the road! Take some deep breaths, collect your thoughts, and remember there is ALWAYS an opinion, a different path to take.
3. Talk!
There’s lots of help out there. Your initial reaction may be to shut yourself away, not to speak to your friends and parents. Don’t forget there are experienced staff at your school or college who can help you. They will want to do their best for you and most universities have a well-oiled Clearing process.
4. Be brave.
Pick up the phone and call the universities you are interested in. Ask lots of questions and don’t just take the first opportunity that comes along. Make sure it’s the right one for you. Write down the questions you want to ask before you call, and if it’s a university you haven’t visited you may want to find out about facilities, accommodation, and student support. This is your opportunity to discover what is best for you, don’t hang up the phone until all your questions are answered.
5. Keep an open mind.
If you don’t know what to do next, then you can always give yourself some time to consider all your options. You could defer going to university until next year, it’s only 12 months and it will give you time to decide what you really want to do. You may decide you want to earn some money and get a job, or re-sit your exams, or perhaps consider a different degree or apprenticeship.
And finally, when A-Level Results Day rolls around, the hours often fly past, with a rush of anticipation and ‘next steps. But university is a big decision – and finding your perfect course isn’t something you should speed through.
To help you make up your mind before Thursday, the MetFilm School Admissions Team are always on hand to help. You can contact them via phone at +44 (0)20 8280 9119 or email them today at info@metfilmschool.co.uk.
Our phone lines will be open a little longer than usual during A-level results week – here are our upcoming hours:
Thursday 15 August: 8am–6pm
Friday 16 August: 8am–6pm
Saturday 17 August: 9am–5pm
- Find out more about our full range of BA Degrees at our upcoming Open Days.