Exams D-day for hopeful students

Aug 16 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

THOUSANDS of Merseyside students will have an anxious wait this morning to find out if their A-level results are enough to secure their university hopes.

Around 1,600 students in Liverpool and thousands more around the region will make their way to schools and colleges to discover if they have obtained the necessary grades to make their first choice of course.

This year some students, particularly those who are abroad on holiday, may receive their results via text message on their mobile phones.

Universities last night said there had been a marked change in the way some students made decisions, with many now waiting until results day to make initial contact with higher education bodies.

John McCarthy, director of marketing at Liverpool Hope University, said he was expecting a better class of students this year.

“In terms of results it’s been the best year we’ve ever had,” he said.

“We have got more and better qualified students than ever before, and we will only have a pretty small number of students looking for a place through clearing.

“One of the biggest areas we have seen grow is popular music, education and early childhood studies. An area where we are slightly down, and this reflects a national trend, is in business studies and computing and IT.”

It is part of a trend which has seen many students bypass traditional university applications from UCAS and wait until they have received their results to decide where to go and what to study.

Mr McCarthy added: “There are more courses available than there are students to fill them – so essentially it is a buyers’ market.

“If students get good qualifications they will be almost guaranteed to obtain a place at university as long as they are flexible about which course they take.”

A spokesperson for the University of Liverpool said: “We're delighted to see such good results from students who have applied to us.

“We do have a limited number of places available for those students who have done better in their A-Levels than expected and who may not yet have considered the University of Liverpool.”

Stephen Brady, head of sixth form at Liverpool College, said: “Results day is always a day of great excitement, and tears, and congratulations.”

THE clearing number for the University of Liverpool, operating from 8.30am today, is 0151 794 6800 or students can visit www.liv.ac.uk, while clearing at Liverpool John Moores University can accessed at www.ljmu.ac.uk

Hope University’s clearing number is available on 0800 0282352, or students can drop in to their open house on campus from today until August 24, between 10am and 4pm.

A-LEVELS SPECIAL: PAGES12-14

vickyanderson