Cambridge student success all down to ACAS clearing options

A Cambridge-based student who thought she had let her family down when she missed her grades at A-level has spoken of her relief at being accepted through clearing to study politics – and graduating with a first-class honours degree.

Jenna Coles, 21, was devastated when she received her results back in 2016, having narrowly missed out on the grades she needed to get into her first-choice university.

But as Jenna explored her options, it became clear all hope was not lost.

“I have always had high expectations of myself academically, and had been expected to achieve top grades, and so I felt like a disappointment to my family and my teachers,” explained Jenna.

“I also felt scared about what this would mean for my future, whether I would have to fall behind my peers and retake an A-level, and whether my grades would affect my future employment prospects.”

Jenna began to investigate back-up options through clearing, a service provided by UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) to match students with available university places.

After speaking with “countless” universities and researching the courses available, she accepted a place at the University of Reading.

She said: “It was very important to me to only accept if I thought it was my best option.”

After accepting the place, Jenna threw herself into university life in Reading, signing up for modules outside of her course and becoming a course representative, so by her second year she knew she had made the right choice.

Jenna graduated this summer with a first-class honours degree, and was presented with a special award by the politics department for best all-round contribution to her course.

She said: “I’m really proud of the award. It means a great deal to know that I had a positive impact on my department and to receive such an award in front of my family was an honour.”

She is now taking a year out from her studies to explore her options but plans to return to academia to study for a masters degree.

Admissions staff and experts in a wide range of subjects will be manning phone lines at the clearing centre at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, until September. Call the centre on 01245 686868.