1. Using data insights to understand Clearing
Stuart Smith

2. Agenda 01 UCAS Headlines 02 Our Clearing Trends
03 Institutions: Challenges and Opportunities
04 Students: Frustrations and Desires
05 Introducing Whatuni Go
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3. UCAS Headlines Main Cycle 2018 Demographic challenges
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Main Cycle 2018
Demographic challenges
Overall acceptances stable with 2017
0.6% decrease in total applicants
Ongoing decline in UK 18 year olds, decline in applications from year olds
3.6% decrease in applications from UK 18 year old's
1.9% decrease in placed UK students, buffered by 76.7% acceptance rate
Growth in unconditional offers and EU
Challenge to shape recruitment to maintain provision and capacity until 2020
Source: DataHE

4. UCAS Headlines Clearing 2018 Growth in direct applicants
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Clearing 2018
Growth in direct applicants
17,515 applied directly via Clearing, 3.3% increase on 2017
33.4% increase in RPAs to 34,300 (many will be ‘direct to clearing’)
Growth opportunity
Small overall growth
c.67k students placed via Clearing (excluding RPAs)
2.9% increase compared to 2017, a new UCAS record
12.5% of all placed students
Main cycle impact
4% decrease in main cycle applicants in Clearing (UCAS, 17 August 2018)
45,690 placed students were main cycle applicants (UCAS, 20 September 2018)
1.4% decreased compared to the same point in 2017
Competition intensifying

5. Our Clearing Trends Whatuni Clearing
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Whatuni Clearing
263,677 pageviews on A level results day
3.15% increase on 2017
Whatuni app clearing matching service reached 5,903 users across 15,050 session on A level results day alone
Universities with strong student satisfaction led, reflecting the sites focus on student reviews

6. Our Clearing Trends Complete University Guide
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Complete University Guide
New comprehensive Clearing Search launched in June 2018
1 million pageviews on A level results day alone, 24% increase on 2017
Strong traffic for higher tariff institutions up until A level results day
Medium tariff institutions with strong brands led from A level results onwards

7. Our Clearing Trends A Level Results Day by Device
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A Level Results Day by Device
Most engaged users are on desktop and tablet
Mobile most used
Year on year decrease due to WhatUni app

8. A Level Results (Thurs-Fri): 27.1% of all searches (+1.0 vs 2017)
Our Clearing Trends
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Whatuni Course Search
A Level Results (Thurs-Fri): 27.1% of all searches (+1.0 vs 2017)
Early Clearing: 26.7% of all searches (-4.4 vs 2017)
Late Clearing: 39.8% of all searches (+4.6 vs 2017)

9. Our Clearing Trends A Level Results Day
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A Level Results Day

10. Our Clearing Trends A Level Results Day by Hour
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A Level Results Day by Hour

11. Our Clearing Trends Whatuni Clearing Search – All Clearing
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Whatuni Clearing Search – All Clearing
Detailed analysis of Whatuni and CUG subject trends will be available in post conference slide deck
Overall growth in most subject areas with the largest growth in terms of volume in Health and Medicine
Growth in the Environment subject area
Notable and ongoing decline in Creative Arts and Design and Education

12. Sector Co-creation Insights
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Challenges and Opportunities
Medium/Higher Tariff Institutions
Institutions using clearing to meet target, some for the first time
Challenge to balance brand considerations with the recruiting, entry standards and widening participation
Lower Tariff Institutions
Pressure from higher tariff institutions recruiting via clearing with lower entry requirements
Pressure from peers offering lower tariffs, incentives and three year vs four year degrees
High marketing and operational overheads
Desire to accurately target campaigns and improve ROI

13. Student Co-creation Insights
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Frustrations and Desires
Frustrations
Challenge to find the right place
Lack of advice and guidance
Fragmented information
Time pressure – limits choice and inhibits good decision making
Stressful – peer pressure, calling multiple institutions, fear of rejection
Feeling of being selected by institutions
Desires
Access to everything in one place
Find the right course and institution
Easy, stress free way to understand where they can get in with their grades
Ability to apply, compare and accept online in their own time
Understand the clearing process
Feel wanted and supported by institutions

14. Introducing Whatuni Go
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Self-serve digital platform
Co-created with institutions and students
For students: find and get a place at their perfect match online – reduced stress, better decision making and reduced effort
For institutions: find and recruit students with the right fit and profile – increase reach and enrolments without growing operational overheads
30-50 pioneering institutions for first year
Launch Webinar – 12 February
Sign up at or speak to a member of the team today to find out more.

15. Questions & Answers Sector Advisory Panels
We’re actively recruiting members for our domestic and international sector advisory panels. If you’d like to be involved in helping us to design Whatuni Go and other innovative products – speak to one of the team today.
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Questions are being moderated. We will try to answer as many of your queries as possible today and aim to answer any questions left unaddressed at a later date.