Universities are turning to Snapchat and WhatsApp to lure in students as they scrabble to fill up courses during the “clearing” process.

A number of institutions are preparing to make offers via social media app for the first time, in a bid to reach students faster than their rivals.

On A-level results day this Thursday, typically students who fail to make their grades for their first choice offer would phone up universities on a special clearing hotline to see if they could get on to a course.

But with fierce competition between universities to fill up their places, institutions are developing novel ways to get hold of students as quickly as possible.