Aced your A-levels? Here's how to upgrade your university place

Starting this year, students will be able to see a selection of courses that they might be interested in, says Durant. Be able to explain why you've changed your mind “Make sure you have your UCAS personal ID number ready to hand and that you know the courses that you might be interested in – and are ready to talk about yourself,” says Durant. “Prepare as much as possible so you can make the best impression.” Stephen Spriggs, founder of William Clarence Education, which helps students and parents deal with the move to higher education, says the head of admissions may want to interview the student, particularly for competitive courses. “The aim is to establish why they didn’t apply to that university in the first place," says Spriggs, "or that course – and to find out why they did so much better than expected. “Another facet of engineering,” she says, “is that a deferred entry will often translate to work experience or travel opportunities in that deferral year.