Students advised to keep shopping around for places

THE NEW universities, formerly polytechnics, have made offers of places to 32 per cent more students this year than at the same time last year. The number of people withdrawing is only 14 per cent up, which means that more people are sticking to their poly places.

Both UCCA and PCAS, the two admissions bodies, are receiving new entries, but existing candidates should not be alarmed. More entries usually means more places are made available. There are still good places on offer, especially in the sciences, and the advice is to keep shopping around.

The Independent and the Independent on Sunday are the only newspapers publishing university and polytechnic places available through Clearing.

In an exclusive agreement with UCCA and PCAS, the lists will appear in the Independent on Sunday this weekend and in the Independent next Tuesday, 8 September; they will be updated on Thursday, 10 September and again in the Independent on Sunday on 13 September.

Further updated lists will appear throughout September.