A Xaverian student has achieved the seemingly impossible feat of successfully gaining a place at the University of Cambridge through the university’s own clearing system. Naser Al-Rais wasn’t initially offered a place but was pooled for further consideration subject to his final grades. After working incredibly hard in the lead up to summer exams, Naser impressed the university by achieving top grades of three A*s in his Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics A Levels.
Places at the University of Cambridge are usually taken up by applicants meeting the conditions of their offers and very few places at the prestigious university become available through clearing. Naser commented on receiving the news, by saying: “I received my offer over a phone call at 8:30pm after an extremely stressful few hours on results day. My brother and girlfriend were there to celebrate and cheer for me. I jumped in excitement and called my mum pretty soon after. It felt great as I had obsessed over my application for the 12 months prior to getting a place.
“Above all else, I’m excited to live in a new city on my own and to meet students from around the world as I love being in a diverse environment. I’ve interacted with a few incoming freshers already and I cannot believe how gifted they are, so I’d say I’m definitely in for some amazing new experiences.”
Head of Lower Sixth and UCAS and Oxbridge Coordinator Jenny Ayres, supports students who aspire to study at Oxbridge and knew from the outset that Naser had a good chance of gaining a place at Cambridge. The College supported Naser with expert guidance for his personal statement, an interview preparation seminar and access to specialist resources on the College’s Oxbridge Teams channel. Commenting on Naser’s success, Jenny said: “Gaining a place at an Oxbridge university is notoriously competitive and students need to stand out through their UCAS application and in the various stages of the university’s admissions process. He really has earned his place through hard work and dedication to his A Levels as well as all the additional activities he has taken part in. Naser will thrive in the atmosphere of the university, and I am delighted that he has taken the next step in achieving his career ambitions at one of the UK’s most respected universities.”
Naser cites family, colleagues at his former employment and teaching staff on the science and mathematics courses at the College as supporting him and giving him the inspiration to believe he can be successful, commenting: “My former colleagues convinced me to give my summer re-application everything I had, and I did by achieving grades significantly higher than my firm choice’s offer and writing a biological essay over summer. It’s doubtful I’d be where I am today if it were not for them.
“I gained my inspiration to apply for a Degree in Natural Sciences from my Xaverian Biology teacher who took us through the life of a protein from start to finish, involving organelles I hadn’t heard of before, and it showed me how complex intracellular processes were. That was when the idea of biology as a career was planted in my mind.
“After university, I hope to find a position working in a laboratory for a large biotech company. Hopefully, wherever I go, I’ll have the opportunity to continue to grow and collaborate with people from all over the world with whom I want to think about and discuss the big problems!”
Naser believes that students entering sixth form from high school can gain inspiration from his experiences and believe that they can do it, whatever their circumstances and backgrounds. He commented: “If somebody approached me asking for advice, I’d tell them to work exceptionally hard. Recently, my brother told me that around the time of my entrance exam he forgot he lived with me as I was always in my room studying or in the library. This is not to say I had no fun, but the idea never left my mind. Find what you love, give it everything you can, and you’ll get where you deserve to be. Many students in my year are heading to fantastic universities and that cannot just be attributed to the hard work of individual students, the College certainly played an incredible role in my success and the success of my year group.”