Universities will be forced to compete harder than ever to fill empty places after the release of A-Level results this week, as experts report that a dip in UK university applications means a "great year for students".

 

等本周高考成绩公布后，英国大学将不得不为了填补生源空缺而展开前所未有的竞争，专家报告称，英国大学申请人数下降意味着今年“对学生来说是个好年头”。

 

Some Russell Group universities will lower their entry requirements in a bid to enlist¹ students onto under-subscribed courses, sector² leaders predict.

 

Applications to UK universities were down by 4 percent this year, due to a sharp fall in the number of applications from European Union students as well as a broader long-term decline in the size of the youth population.

 

As a result, 'clearing' - the process where students who do not achieve the grades required for their preferred university search for spaces on rival, under-subscribed courses - will be more competitive than ever, as admissions teams scramble³ to fill empty places.

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