Results day arrives. Thousands of applicants who missed their offers, changed their minds or decided late start looking for places at once. Admissions teams brace for the busiest few days of the year. Phone lines queue. Inboxes overflow. Applicants who cannot get an answer quickly move to the next institution on their list.
Clearing and late places are a test of preparation. This playbook sets out how to handle the enquiry flood.
Step 1: prepare the answers before the day
Most clearing questions are predictable:
- Does this course have places?
- What grades or points do I need?
- How do I apply through clearing?
- Is accommodation still available?
- When will I hear back?
- Can I visit before accepting?
Write clear answers to each before results day, and keep them on pages that are easy to update as places fill. The wider seasonal strain on admissions teams is covered in admissions team workload in peak season.
Step 2: keep vacancy information current
Nothing frustrates applicants more than applying for a course that filled hours earlier. Assign someone to update vacancy pages throughout the day. An assistant answering from those pages will then give accurate answers.
Step 3: answer routine questions online
Many applicants will research on the website before or instead of calling. SpideyChat for education providers can answer published questions at any hour, including late the night before, when many applicants are anxious and searching. It replies in the applicant's language, which helps international students too.
Step 4: capture details for follow-up
An applicant who asks about a course should not have to start again when they speak to someone. Capture their name, contact details, course of interest and results, so staff can prioritise and contact them with the information already in hand.
Applicant: Do you still have places on Computer Science? Assistant: The clearing page shows Computer Science as having places available at the moment. Entry requirements are listed there. If you share your name, contact details and results, the admissions team can get back to you quickly about applying.
Step 5: be clear about what the assistant cannot do
The assistant must never make or imply an offer. Offers come from admissions staff. It also should not speculate about whether an applicant's grades will be accepted if the published requirements do not answer that. Anything uncertain goes to a person.
Step 6: handle fees and accommodation questions
Clearing applicants often ask about money and housing at the same time. Clear pages on fees, funding and accommodation reduce calls. Fees questions are covered in fees and funding questions from prospective students.
Step 7: clear the backlog quickly
After the busiest days, there will be a queue of captured enquiries. Work through them in order of urgency. The approach in clearing the Monday backlog applies: sort, prioritise and answer the most time-sensitive first.
Step 8: review for next year
Look at which questions came up most and which pages were unclear. Update them now while the details are fresh. Other sectors with sharp seasonal peaks do the same, such as gyms after New Year, covered in January rush enquiries and how gyms can prepare.
Setting it up in advance
Set up the assistant a few weeks before results day and test it with the questions applicants are likely to ask. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain the steps. Re-train it as vacancy pages change so answers stay current.
Clearing is intense, but it is predictable. The institutions that prepare the answers in advance are the ones applicants remember as helpful.