By Pam McClounie

Published at 21:37, Wednesday, 08 August 2012

THE wait is over for teenagers at Langholm Academy following the publication of this year’s Scottish Highers results.

Staff at the Academy were on hand to help pupils on Tuesday morning, although most pupils had received their grades in the post, by email or by text.

Royal Mail delivered more than 5,000 certificates through the letterboxes of youngsters in Dumfries and Galloway on Tuesday morning.

Gerry O’Rourke, Royal Mail operations director said: “Tuesday was a massive day for every pupil in Scotland who was waiting for their results.

“All our staff, many of whom have children themselves, understand just how important this day is for families. They pulled out all the stops to ensure the results were delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Royal Mail is used to handling large mailings and we have worked successfully with the SQA on exam result delivery for many years now and were delighted to play our part in this special day once again.”

UCAS figures released after June 30 – the deadline for making university choices – show that 42,515 people from Scotland applied to higher education in the UK this year. Some 41,719 of those applied to Scottish institutions.

Applicants can log in to the UCAS website to see if they have been accepted or are eligible for clearing.

Andrea Robertson, director of customer operations at UCAS, offered this advice: “If you achieve the results you need for your firm or insurance choice, then congratulations on all your hard work. But if your grades don’t quite meet the offer requirements, there’s no need to panic.

“Clearing is there to help anyone who is without a place on results day. You can find detailed guidance about the clearing process on the UCAS website, alongside courses still available.

“It’s important to be flexible and determined when looking at alternatives, and to research the requirements properly. You should be as well informed as possible before you make that call to admissions staff to discuss your potential acceptance.”

Last year, 1,395 Scottish pupils found a place through clearing, and 1,210 of those went to institutions in Scotland.

Advisers from UCAS will be on hand to answer questions on 0871 468 0 468 or on Twitter and Facebook.

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