Mount Sackville – Class of 2016

CAO Central Applications Office. Founded in 1977 with 5 Universities with 69 courses. Today, 44 HEI (higher Education Institutes) with c. 1,400 courses Applying to colleges in the Republic of Ireland NOT FOR FETAC / PLC

Significant Dates in CAO Calendar CAO opens – November 5 th FEBRUARY 1 Closing Date (Discount fee to apply by January 20 th ) JULY 1Closing Date for Change of Mind

Restricted courses Clearly marked in the handbook. Courses that have a test/ audition/ portfolio/ interview etc. as part of the application process. MUST BE ON THE CAO BY FEBRUARY 1 S t. Can remove them later but cannot introduce them after this time.

DARE applications Learning Difficulty or ongoing medical issue Must tick box on CAO form by March 1 st 3 sections to be completed and sent to CAO by April 1 st : Part A - completed online by applicant Part B – educational impact statement to be completed by the candidate and the school. Part C – signed by Consultant / Psychologist etc.

CAO Course Options Three levels of Certification Level 6 Higher Certificate (formerly Cert) Level 7 Ordinary Degree (formerly Dip) ______________________________ Level 8 Honours Degree Mainly found in the Institutes of Technology and private colleges. Found in all CAO colleges

Selection of Courses Two Lists: Level 8 Hons Degree Levels 6 & 7 Higher Cert/ Ord Degree Students choose courses in order of preference. Maximum of ten courses may be chosen from each list.

Level 8Level 6/7 PrefCourse CodePrefCourse Code 1CK1011BN003 (business studies) 2DC2012TA102 3AL0333TA101 4DN0214NC101 5TR0845TA108 6DC1156DT315 7DT3667DT521 8BN1018 9DT PD10110

How Places are Allocated If the applicant meets the minimum entry requirements for the course, the applicant’s points are calculated for this course choice. All eligible applicants are then placed in a list, in order of the points they achieved, for each course that they applied for.

These are the applicants for CK101 (Arts in UCC) The examination results have not yet been released, so these applicants are in no particular order. We are going to trace the progress of the applicant marked in red.

Applicants are placed in a queue for each course they applied for, their position in the queue is determined by their points. The applicant with the highest points is placed at the top of the queue. The points achieved by the applicant in red determines her position in the queue for each course she applied to.

The applicants marked in green have enough points to be offered places. The applicant marked in red has enough points for her second preference.

The applicant in red is offered her second preference, the highest preference course that she has enough points for, and she will now disappear from the queue in all her lower choices.

Normally given a week to accept the offer but very important to check the deadline date given with the offer. If offered Level 8 and Level 6/7 offer, accepting one automatically rejects the other. You may never receive another offer from the CAO so think very carefully before rejecting the offer. Accepting or rejecting an offer will have no effect on your higher course choices.

FETAC ( formerly called PLC) NOT PART OF CAO! Apply to these separately. Most use on-line application system on their website. Can apply to as many as you like. No set deadline but popular courses fill up fast. E.g. Make-Up & Beauty in SCD – apply by December! Most FETAC open days are in the New Year.

Any Questions?

How to make a good choice…. Research, research, research! Go to Open Days – ask current students about what surprised them about the course. Focus on course content and not on job titles. Ask yourself “is this what I want to LEARN?” Use your networks – past pupils / older siblings/ cousins/ friends. Most colleges will allow you to spend a day on campus at any time.

Advice for 6 th years Make time for Open Days – make sure that you go to the talks. Should download app for calculating points – helps to keep you focused. Never too late to set up study routine – every 5 points more creates more possibilities for offers. Make time for time off – not for socialising but to re- charge.

Significant Dates Apply to CAO. January 15 th – Deadline for applying to the UK and Northern Ireland. Apply to FETAC colleges. From now – February 1st February 1 st – beginning May Apply to FETAC colleges. DARE application deadline – PART A, March 1st PART B & C, April 1st May – July 1st Change of mind as often as you like on CAO.