Clearing Clarified – Key Trends and Applicant Behaviour

Matt Criddle: Agency Sales Manager

OVERVIEW

1. Growth of the Clearing Market

2.

3.

4.

Applicant Behaviour & Decision Making

Applicant Profiling – Placed & Unplaced

How Can UCAS Media Help?5.

How Long Does Clearing Last?

Growth of the Clearing Market1.

GROWTH OF THE CLEARING MARKET

Clearing 2014 – up 7.4% to 61,000

APPLICANTS PLACED VIA CLEARING

20112010 2012 2013 2014

46.9k51.2k

55.7k

57.1k

61.3k

GROWTH OF THE CLEARING MARKET

• 23% more applicants placed in 2014 than in Clearing 2010

• Clearing a mature market offering choice to applicants

• 5,000 Applicants placed at Firm or Insurance choice, change provider during Clearing

• Applicants changing for their Firm choice 4 times more likely to be placed via Clearing than Adjustment

GROWTH OF THE CLEARING MARKET

2014 ACCEPTED APPLICANTS

Accepted via Firm Choice

Accepted via Insurance Choice

Accepted via Clearing

• Are we seeing the formation of a buyers market?

• Increased number of/ and diverse range of HEP’s recruiting – increased Choice for Applicants

• 18 of the 24 Russell Group Institutions actively recruiting in Clearing 2014

• Clearing, is now a valuable recruitment channel for an increasing number of providers

• Applicants more likely to be placed in Clearing than via Insurance choice

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2. Applicant Behaviour & Decision making 2.

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

1,253,489 Logins to track –

av. 8.9 per second

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

5.2million page views on UCAS.com

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

600,000 searches in Course Search ToolMost popular subjects were Law, Psychology

and Economics

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

2,980 Social Media Enquiries

- 1,603 via Facebook

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

16,000 calls to the UCAS Contact Centre

IT’S BUSY!!But what do the students involved think?

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

RESULTS DAY 2014 BY NUMBERS:

APPLICANT BEHAVIOUR AND DECISION MAKING

Source : UCAS End of Cycle Applicant Survey – October 2014

How many Universities / Colleges did you contact in Clearing

What were you most interested in when

searching for courses in Clearing?

What factors influenced your choice of course

in Clearing?

Why did you use Clearing?

35% Missed their required grades

24% Wanted to change course or provider

20% Applied late

24% Received no offers

42% Only contacted 1

16% contacted 2

12% contacted 3

8% contacted 4

55% Subject

20% Entry requirements I know I can meet

15% Institution Location

11% Institution Type

47% Parents or other family members

29% Friends

28% School / College

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3. Applicant Profiling – Placed & Unplaced

APPLICANT PROFILING - GENDER

44% 48% 40%

56% 52% 60%

Source : UCAS Exact Report

MAIN PLACED UNPLACED

APPLICANT PROFILING - AGE

Source : UCAS Exact Report

MAIN PLACED UNPLACED

11% 1% 3%

52% 44% 33%

17 and under

18

19

20

21 and over

21% 22% 16%

8% 9% 9%

18% 24% 38%

APPLICANT PROFILING - DOMICILE

Source : UCAS Exact Report

MAIN PLACED UNPLACED

74% 82.72% 56.2%ENGLAND

NORTHERN IRELAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

EU

OVERSEAS

3% 0.44% 3.3%

7% 2.16% 7.7%

4% 3.41% 2.6%

5% 3.26% 10.9%

7% 6.35% 19.2%

APPLICANT PROFILING - GRADE

ABB+

Source : UCAS Exact Report

MAIN PLACED UNPLACED

37% 16% 19%

ABB- 63% 84% 81%

GRADE

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4. How long does Clearing last?

CLEARING 2014- HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?

IS IT ALL ABOUT THE FIRST 48HRS?

7,280 Placed – 12%

48hrs

WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST 4 DAYS?

20,340 placed – 33%

SURELY IT’S ALL OVER IN THE FIRST WEEK?

41,150 placed by the end of week 1 – 67%

A further 20,150 (33%) applicants recruited between week 2 and the close of cycle.

22% - Around 13,000 were placed in September

187,315 were still unplaced at the close of cycle

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5. How can UCAS Media help?

HOW CAN UCAS MEDIA HELP?

OUR AUDIENCES

• 100% of Applicants – Placed & Unplaced• Parents & Guardians• Advisors at Schools & Colleges

MARKETING CHANNELS

• Digital Display Advertising• Mobile Advertising• SMS• E-newsletters• Targeted Email Campaigns • Video wall

DIGITAL DISPLAY ADVERTISING

Digital Display opportunities across key UCAS content

Position your brand in front of students researching clearing opportunities

Advertising formats:

• Banner Advertising• Mobile Banner• Button Adverts• Text Link• Subject Specific Keyword

Adverts

DIGITAL DISPLAY – CASE STUDIES

Clicks >> 200+CTR >> 0.19%

CLIENT: The London CollegeDISTRIUTION PERIOD: August 5th – September 12th

TOP PERFORMING LEADERBOARD

DIGITAL DISPLAY – CASE STUDIES

Clicks >> 500+CTR >> 0.24%

CLIENT: Royal HollowayDISTRIUTION PERIOD: August 11th – September 12th

TOP PERFORMING SKYSCRAPER

DIGITAL DISPLAY – MOBILE CASE STUDIES

Clicks >> 600+CTR >> 0.51%

CLIENT 1: Canterbury Christ Church UniversityDISTRIUTION PERIOD: August 5th – September 12th

DIGITAL DISPLAY – MOBILE CASE STUDIES

Clicks >> 700+CTR >> 0.48%

CLIENT 2: Queen Mary University of LondonDISTRIUTION PERIOD: August 7th – September 7th

CLEARING UNPLACED EMAILSWHAT?Targeted email campaigns to UCAS Unplaced Applicant Data

WHEN?From the Friday after Results Day

WHY?• 2015 Clearing recruitment – Across 94 Targeted Email campaigns, 501

applicants were accepted to the institution who had sent them the email.

• January/February Starts – Great audience for targeting potential Jan/Feb Starters – 29% Open Rate and 3% CTR across 21 campaigns sent

• 2016 Entry recruitment – Approximately 50% of 18 year olds re-apply, of which 90% will be successful

• Early Careers Opportunities – Early Careers recruiters are successfully using this data to promote their post 18 opportunities

EMAIL CASE STUDY 1

Open Rate >> 29%CTR >> 4%

CLIENT: Liverpool Hope UniversityUCAS AUDIENCE: 2014 Unplaced ApplicantsSUBJECT LINE: Places still available at Liverpool Hope UniversityAUDIENCE SIZE: 7,000+WHEN: Monday 18th August

EMAIL CASE STUDY 2

Open Rate >> 33%CTR >> 6%

CLIENT: Jaguar Land RoverUCAS AUDIENCE: 2014 Unplaced ApplicantsSUBJECT LINE: Jaguar Land Rover ApprenticeshipsDATA FILTERS: Engineering, Domiciled in the MidlandsAUDIENCE SIZE: 800+WHEN: Monday 12th January

New for 2015 :Precision Marketing Tool

Proactively target the best suited candidates with your Clearing vacancies

What is it? : An enhanced candidate matching tool powered by previous cycle clearing intelligence for your institution

How will it work? :

1. Confirm Interest with UCAS Media Account Manager2. Access Data Catalogue - updated daily from 10th August3. Order data for specific course requirements – By 1pm on 12th August4. ‘Matched’ learner profiles supplied – released at 10am on Results Day5. Call learner and make verbal offer – Between 1pm – 7pm on Results Day6. Learner adds choice in their personal Track account which is then confirmed by HEP7. UCAS Media Invoice fee per placed applicant

SUMMARY OF KEY INSIGHTS

The Clearing market is growing - up 7.4% to

61,300. Applicants now more likely to be

placed in Clearing than via Insurance Choice

1Clearing is also a highly valuable channel for the

recruitment of high grade candidates - 9,910 held

ABB+, while 20% of those unplaced also had ABB+

2Some students have a change of heart by results day. 5,000

applicants change provider despite having a place at either a firm or insurance

choice

3

SUMMARY OF KEY INSIGHTS

42% of placed students surveyed only contacted one HEP during clearing

and almost 50% will be influenced by their parent

of guardian

4Over 25,000 students

recruited between week 2 and close of cycle. Overall,

Clearing is a long process. Don’t give up too early!

5Almost 190,000 students

are looking for new opportunities at the close of

the cycle.

6

THANK YOU!