Universities braced for admissions bonanza

Universities, including the former polytechnics, have already accepted more students than last year and there is still a month to run with plenty of places unfilled.

The Independent today continues its exclusive publication of the latest lists of university and polytechnic places available through Clearing.

This year's excellent A- level and Highers results are likely to cause problems for popular university departments which are now bracing themselves for more first-year students than they bargained for. University tutors make offers of places to candidates on condition they make certain grades, on the assumption that a certain number will fail.

An UCCA spokesman commented: 'A significant increase in the numbers getting higher grades at A- level is bound to catch out some of the more popular courses.'

Better A-level results in England and Wales and Highers results in Scotland prompted a late flurry of applications. They also help to explain the speed with which institutions have confirmed offers. UCCA (the Universities Central Council on Admissions) has to date been notified of 121,330 acceptances, compared with a final total of 118,000 in 1991. PCAS (the Polytechnics Central Admissions System) has also processed more offers and says that candidates are rejecting places less frequently than in previous years, possibly because of the change from polytechnic to university status.

'If Clearing follows the normal pattern we are in for a bonanza,' commented a spokesman for PCAS.

Places on humanities courses are disappearing fast, but there are still plenty in science and engineering. Universities will now see whether those unplaced candidates have suitable qualifications or whether some places will remain unfilled despite the unprecedented thirst for degree courses.

The UCCA and PCAS lists will appear in the Independent on Sunday this weekend and for the rest of the month. The lists will be updated in the Independent every Tuesday and Thursday and each will be accompanied by advice for would-be students.