While thousands of students prepare to scramble for vacant university places if their grades are higher or lower than expected, one Norfolk university has said it will not take part in the clearing process.

Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), which was granted university status last year, said its undergraduate courses were oversubscribed.

Vice chancellor John Last said: 'NUA experienced a 17pc rise in applications to degree courses starting this September. Compared to national growth in university applications of just 3.2pc, this is a tremendous increase and enables us to continue to select the most talented students.'

The University of East Anglia currently has a number of undergraduate courses available in arts and humanities, science and social science, as well as nursing.

The news comes as a poll by Which? found that high numbers of students find the clearing system, used to find a degree course after achieving lower than expected grades, stressful, and those who find a place this way are more likely to regret their choice.

One in five of the 390 first-year university students surveyed who gained their place through clearing felt unsupported and on their own during the process, while around one in four felt unprepared and almost two-fifths felt panicked.

More than a third agree they felt pressured into taking the first offer they got through clearing, while nearly half rushed into making a decision about where to go.

Students can start looking at courses with vacancies on the website of Ucas, the shared university admissions service, from just after midnight tomorrow morning.

Applicants can log in to the Track on the UCAS website from 8am tomorrow to see if they have been accepted or are eligible for clearing. They will also receive an email confirming their status.

An official clearing choice can be made from 5pm, although applicants should call universities and colleges beforehand to discuss courses that interest them and ensure places are available.

Ucas advisers are available on 0871 468 0 468 to answer questions from 7.30am, while professional careers advisers will be available on the exam results helpline, on 0808 100 8000, from 8am.