One for the uni students
Am I right that if you don't get your chosen place, you have to go through clearing. If so, how does that work? Do they just look at the subject you've chosen and match it with any vacancies that are left at any university? The forensic archaeology course my eldest wants to do when he leaves college in 2 years is only available at Bradford or Bournemouth. If he doesn't get either of those, what's likely to happen?
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:26, 11 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

He needs to call the other uni's he applied to and ask if he can go there instead

( fuck shit up the best you never had, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:28, Reply)

No student that went to a real university would know anything about clearing would they?

( WormuIus, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:30, Reply)

You'd be better off saying
'One for the mind-numb'
( WormuIus, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:30, Reply)

Also in answer to your question
If he doesn't get on either of those courses, a life of knife-crime and drug addiction awaits him.

I'd phone St Mungo's now, just to be sure.
( WormuIus, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:31, Reply)

It's actually amazingly straight-forward
if you find a decent course on clearing, I think the clearing office get in touch with the Uni and basically it's as simple as "is there space"? and "is his qualifications anywhere near enough"?.

They are usually that desperate to seal the last few places that it should be straightforward enough.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:30, Reply)

Yes, straightforward.
You check what courses are available through clearing (these tend to be published in newspaper supplements, and also online). Not all Universities offer clearing, and not all courses go to clearing. Once you find a course you contact that University, talk to them, they can provisionally offer you a place, then you complete the necessary UCAS documentation.

Regarding the Forensic Archaeology course: if he doesn't make that, he can try elsewhere for a different Archaeology degree (what about Archaeological Science?) or repeat and hope he gets the grades next time. Forensic Archaeology is offered as a taught Masters too, so it would be possible to do a regular Archaeology degree, then specialise at postgrad level.

(I'm not a Uni student so I ignored your target demographic.)
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 14:34, Reply)

The course offered
so in a worse case scenario he could end up on a course completely unrelated to what he wanted to do? Providing he doesn't go into knife-crime etc.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 15:48, Reply)

Yes,
he can apply for pretty much anything through clearing if he has the right grades in suitable subjects.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 15:53, Reply)

Also
As CHCB has reminded me, bear in mind it's generally possible to change courses after the first year, so maybe widen your search to something very similar to what they want to do.
(Shippy likes linebreaks and doesn't care what you think, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 15:28, Reply)

well... kinda...
That depends on the institution, usually.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 15:34, Reply)

I think (but I can't be arsed just now to look on UCAS)
that you apply for 5 courses. If not the Foresic archaeology, then maybe a joint honours in Archaeology and forensic chemistry which should be possible at a good few more institutions.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 25 Jun 2009, 15:47, Reply)