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Students celebrate Clearing success at UEL – staff receive thousands of enquiries on A-level results day

Friday 15 August 2008

After another record A-level pass rate, hundreds of students from across London, around the UK and worldwide are celebrating gaining places to study degrees at the University of East London (UEL).

On A-Level results day, Thursday 14 August, UEL tutors and admission staff received over 2,400 phone enquiries, and the Clearing page of UEL’s web site was visited more than 12,000 times. With places still available on a wide range of courses, many more applicants are expected to secure their places over the next few days.

Professor Susan Price, acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of East London, said: "We have been very impressed by the high quality of applications received so far. There have been a great many outstanding candidates, which demonstrates that UEL is increasingly seen as a university of choice, not just among people from east London, but from all over the UK and abroad.”

Highly-rated UEL programmes, including Architecture, Fashion and Textiles, Anthropology, Journalism, and Psychology, have already received hundreds of enquiries. Demand is also high for Combined Honours degrees, with popular combinations including Criminology with Psychology, Business with Law, and English Literature with Creative Writing.

Vedna Moheesh (23), originally from Mauritius but now living in Wanstead, secured a place on UEL’s Combined Honours degree in Psychology with Human Resource Management.

Vedna said: “I feel like the happiest woman in the world! It’s been my dream to go to university for years, and UEL feels like a really welcoming place. I used to live close to the Stratford campus and often thought about studying there.

“I was really nervous when I came in today – worried that I might not have the right qualifications or that I might be too late to start this September. But the lady I spoke to was very helpful and clear; she answered all my questions and the whole process of applying was simple.”

UEL currently has a record total of over 21,000 students enrolled – an increase of more than 80% over the past six years.

Emma Burchfield, Head of Student Admissions at UEL, said: “With many students doing better than expected at A-Level, coming to university has suddenly become a realistic option for thousands more people across the UK. We’ve already made hundreds of offers, but with places still available on a wide range of programmes there's definitely more time to apply.

"A limited number of our £1000 Achievement Scholarships are also still available, so who knows what a quick phone call could mean!”

UEL also offers two-year Foundation Degrees and extended degree programmes in fields including architecture, visual arts, computing, engineering and science. This means that students who do not have the qualifications required for direct entry to degree programmes can join a foundation ‘year zero’ rather than going back to school or college.

Jawhiria Ahmed (21), of Woolwich, accepted a place on UEL's extended degree in Photography after recently completing a BTec National Diploma in Fashion.

Jawhiria said: "I'd already had offers from other universities, but UEL's Docklands campus looks great and is right across the river from my house. I'm really impressed by the library, too, and the Photography tutor I spoke to was very helpful and friendly.

"Because I haven't had much experience of photography, he suggested that I start on the foundation year. It seems like a great way to develop my skills, and I'm really excited about starting in September."

UEL’s Clearing Hotlines are open weekdays from Thursday 14 August until Friday 19 September. The lines will also be open on Saturday 16, Sunday 17 and Saturday 23 August from 10am to 4pm. For full details of all programmes and up-to-date availability of places, call 020 8223 3333 or log on to www.uel.ac.uk/clearing.

Case studies:

Dina Bondzi-Simpson (37), of Southwark, secured a place on UEL’s extended degree in Psychology.

Dina said: “I came to UEL for the open day in June and originally applied to do Social Work. Unfortunately, the course was over-subscribed, but it’s great that Clearing offers a whole range of new opportunities. I was particularly interested in courses connected to working with children, which I love.

“I’ve got three children myself, aged ten, eight and three. Watching them grow up has been a fascinating experience; seeing first hand how they develop new skills and how their young minds work – that’s what really got me interested in psychology.

“Now that they’re a bit older, I feel like I’ll have enough time to focus on study while they’re learning their own things at school. I’ve recently been working as a volunteer at St John’s pre-school in Southwark, and am determined to achieve something for myself.”

Natalie Brisbe (20), of Brockley, accepted a place on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Sociology. Natalie, who previously completed a BTec National Diploma in Care, said: “I actually applied to study Social Work at UEL through UCAS, but unfortunately couldn’t make the interview and missed out on a place.

“I came to UEL for an open day earlier this year and it really felt like an environment I’d be comfortable in. Talking to staff and students gave me a really good impression of the Sociology degree, and I’m very excited about starting in September.”

Vier Baptiste (23), of Archway, secured a place on UEL’s Combined Honours degree in Criminology with Psychology.

Vier said: “I recently finished a university access course in Politics, and had actually applied to another university, but changed my mind and reapplied through Clearing.

“UEL has a good reputation; I’ve got quite a few friends who are studying or have already graduated there, and they all gave me very good feedback. The Clearing staff were certainly helpful, and the whole process was over in minutes

“In the long run, I hope to work with victims of crime, perhaps in a social work or police setting. This Combined Honours degree offers the perfect combination.”

Abbey Evenett (19), of Clacton-on-sea, secured a place on UEL’s Combined Honours degree in Criminology with Forensic Science. Abbey, who achieved a B, two Cs and a D in her A-Levels in 2007, spent much of the last year working as a health care assistant.

Abbey said: “My Biology A-Level had a really enjoyable module in forensics, and I thought criminology would fit really well with it. I also spent a couple of days shadowing someone I know who works in police forensics, which was a really interesting experience.

“I wanted to be in London and not a lot of places combine the two subjects. I read a lot about UEL and am very excited about starting in just over a month. Clearing was shockingly easy – everyone was very friendly and the whole process was over after only ten minutes on the phone.”

Lauren Holland (22), of Lewisham, accepted a place on UEL’s BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology. Lauren, who previously completed the first year of a degree in Mental Health Nursing at another London university, decided to switch courses to stretch her mind further.

Lauren said: “I’d really like to stay working in the field of mental health, so psychology seemed like the obvious option. The UEL degree offers an interesting variety of modules, and it’s great that the campus is so close to home.

“Clearing was really easy, and the UEL staff were very efficient – I expected to be on the phone for ages, but it took all of about five minutes! I’m very pleased to have got a place and confident that this course can offer the challenge I’m after.”

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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