Are the UK’s top universities really ‘hoovering up’ students?

Duncan Ivison, president and vice chancellor at The University of Manchester, said students had been working hard to get the places they wanted and deserved.

“We’re not cutting our standards,” he said.

“We want our students not just to pass, but really flourish and do well. You can’t admit students who aren’t going to be able to take advantage of the opportunity that universities are offering.”

The university said that, for the first time, it had received more than 100,000 applications this year – an increase of 13%.

A further 8,000 conversations were expected to take place through Clearing on results day alone.

For A-level student Stephen, from Carmel College in St Helens, results day turned into a “miraculous” morning after New College, Oxford, accepted him to study law despite him missing the grades he had been offered.

“When I opened my slip, I was initially really disappointed. I’d been made an offer of three As. I came out with ABB,” he said.

“Then it was miraculous, I opened my Ucas form and I’d had my place confirmed.

“I’m absolutely over the moon.”