According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, 55% of applicants do not get the grades predicted by their teachers.

ECONOMIST: University-entrance requirements: Shoot for the stars | The

Figures from the the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show there were 39, 954 applications in 2013, compared with 39, 169 the previous year.

BBC: Scots university applications rise 2%

Clearing is carried out by the Universities and Colleges Admissions service (UCAS), which runs a clearing service specifically tailored to Scottish Highers candidates wanting to go to Scottish institutions.

BBC: After the results, where now?

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) is the central organisation through which applications from across the UK are processed for entry to full-time undergraduate courses, HND and university diplomas.

BBC: sites