Haven't heard? Didnt get a place this time? ... all is not lost - stay positive!

Midwifery is an extremely competitive field and sadly many applicants do not get offered a place on the first time of applying. Often the reason many do not get offered a place is attributed to the sheer volume of people applying. This unfortunately means that universities have an extremely difficult job of selecting shortlisted candidates for already limited places to study Midwifery.

However, there are steps that candidates can take to increase their chances of getting a place either through UCAS clearing or applying for the next intake.

The application process itself is a complicated one and UCAS handles the application process on behalf of universities. Here is a brief guide to the selection process:

1. Applicants apply via UCAS who then check the applications to ensure they meet the minimum qualification criteria and details are then forwarded to the relevant universities.
2. Universities sort through all the applications and short list those candidates whom they wish to interview.
3. Shortlisted candidates are invited for interview or selection day. It is worth noting that some universities will immediately contact unsuccessful candidates to advise them that their application will not be furthered and likewise will contact shortlisted candidates to invite them for interview, however, some universities will only offer a limited amount of interviews so will wait for all applications to be received before contacting candidates.
4. The interview process then takes place and again, some universities will immediately advise candidates whether they have been successful or not. However, some universities will wait until they have interviewed all shortlisted candidates before making any offers.
5. Universities may often have a reserve list, therefore some candidates will receive notification that they are being placed on a reserve list.
6. Successful applicants are then expected to accept/decline offers via UCAS. Some applicants may be lucky to be offered more than one place and will have a choice as to which university they wish to study at.
7. Universities will then be informed by UCAS of which students have accepted and confirmed offers. At this point they may contact those who were placed on the reserve list if they now have spaces on their programme. These places may also be offered via clearing. It should be borne in mind that as midwifery is an extremely popular and competitive study choice there may be limited opportunities to apply through clearing. Some universities will also not accept late applications for the midwifery degree course.

UCAS Clearing (Explanation of UCAS Clearing procedure from UCAS)

Clearing process
UCAS Clearing is a service that helps people without a university or college place to find suitable vacancies on higher education courses. It's a well-organised, efficient system run by friendly people who help to find places for more than 35,000 people during Clearing every year. If you're flexible and you have reasonable exam results, you have a good chance of getting in to higher education if you follow the guide below.

Who can use UCAS Clearing?
Most people who use Clearing have already applied through UCAS but have not secured a place on a course.

You are eligible for Clearing for one of these reasons:

• You are not holding any offers from universities or colleges.
• Your offers were not confirmed when your exam results were announced.
• You have declined, or not responded to, a changed course, a changed date of entry or a changed point of entry offer.
• You have applied too late for your application to be considered before Clearing. If UCAS received your application after the dates mentioned above, it will not have sent it to your chosen universities or colleges.

What do I need to do?

Talk to a careers adviser or Connexions personal adviser at your school, college or local careers office. They can help you decide which courses and subjects would be most suitable for you, particularly if your original UCAS application was unsuccessful. Remember that you will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for a course (as given in the university or college prospectus) or be able to claim exemption from them.

Next, find out which courses have vacancies and make a note of the ones you are interested in. Official lists are published on the UCAS website and in the national media from the third Thursday in August.

Find out if the content of the course meets your needs, and check the entry requirements.

I've made a list of courses. Now what?
Start contacting the universities and colleges about the courses that interest you. You can use the details on the institution details page to contact them. UCAS recommends that you either telephone, email or call in person, but you can write if you prefer. Keep your Clearing Passport handy, because a university or college that is interested in you will ask for details such as your Clearing number and your application number. You will probably also be asked questions about your exam results.

What if I'm away or on holiday?
It may be wise to postpone a holiday if this is possible as the Admissions tutors at universities may want to see you or speak to you in person.

What do I do when a university or college wants to offer me a place?
If an institution is happy that you meet its requirements, it might ask you to send your Clearing Passport.

Don't be hasty.

When someone asks for your Clearing Passport, he or she wants to confirm your place. Only if you are sure the course is for you should you complete your Clearing Passport and send it off. Or better still, take it there yourself. The best way to find out more about a university or college, its accommodation and social life, is to make a visit. Most institutions are happy to make arrangements to meet applicants and show them around, and many will have open days. They know that you could be spending the next three or four years there, and that you want to be sure you are making the right choice.

Send your Clearing Passport to a university or college only if you decide to definitely accept the offer of a place. The university or college will insist that you send the original Clearing Passport, not a photocopy or fax. If you're not convinced the course is for you, politely explain and carry on telephoning.

Please note that any offer made either orally or in writing is unofficial until the university or college has received your Clearing Passport and told UCAS about your place.

Where do I send the Clearing Passport?
Do not send your Clearing Passport unless a member of the admissions staff at a university or college asks you to.

Please do not send your Clearing Passport to UCAS. Send it to the university or college that has offered you a place, which you have decided to accept.

What happens next?
The university or college will tell UCAS that you have accepted their offer and UCAS will write confirming your place. By taking up this place, you accept these terms and conditions, so you must read all about them in the university's or college's prospectus or other published materials.

This is straight off the UCAS site. Its only of use if there are other Unis you would consider or different courses. Clearing is better but Extra may still be an option for some.

What is Extra?
If you have applied through UCAS and are not holding any offers, you may be able to apply through Extra for another course. Extra allows you to apply for courses with vacancies between the end of February and the end of June. In Extra, you apply for one course at a time using the Track service.

Am I eligible?
To use Extra you need to have:

• already made five choices;
• received decisions from all these choices; and
• either had no offers or declined all the offers you have received.

If you become eligible for Extra, a button will appear on your Track screen which you can use to apply for a course in Extra. Course Search will tell you which courses have vacancies - an 'x' will be displayed next to any available courses. Before you apply, we recommend that you contact the university or college to make sure that they can consider you.

Check Course Search to see if there is an Entry Profile for the course because it can provide useful advice about what the university or college looks for in their students as well as case studies from students who have taken the course.

Choose a course and enter the details on your Track screen. We will then send your application to the university or college.

Making choices
It makes sense to do some careful research and seek guidance on your Extra choice(s). See the SMNET University list

What happens next?
If you are made an offer, you can choose whether or not to accept it. If you decide to accept an offer, you are committed to it, which means that you cannot apply anywhere else. You will need to reply to your offer by the date shown on Track.

If you decline an offer, or the university or college turns you down, you can apply for a different course through Extra (time permitting). Your Extra button on Track will be reactivated.

If you do not get an offer in Extra, don't worry! You will be able to apply through Clearing, which gives you another opportunity to apply for vacancies.

The important thing for applicants to remember is that midwifery is competitive and sometimes some of the best Midwives didn’t get offered a place the first time they applied. It is advisable for all unsuccessful applicants to obtain feedback from the university/universities to which they applied. Universities will offer feedback, this should not be taken as a criticism but used as a tool in which to learn and improve and ensure that the next application is stronger.

SMNET has a wealth of resources and information to help applicants make the right choices.

Take a look at our wide range of educational resources that will help prospective students through the application process.
Visit the StudentMidwife.NET shop for;

Free midwifery downloads

SMNET E-Learning Resources

Guide to Applying to Study Midwifery

164 Real Midwifery Interview Questions

Midwifery Study Guide

Getting Familiar with Midwifery Workbook 1

Getting Familiar with Clinical Midwifery Workbook 2


References

Coventry University

UCAS

You go for it my darling - thats the spirit!! With you all the way xx

Can be months hun...... many dont reply until after xmas and into Feb/March x