1. Mount Sackville – Class of 2017

2. LCVP Points: Distinction 66 Merit 46 Pass 28

3. CAO Central Applications Office
Applying to colleges in the Republic of Ireland
NOT FOR FETAC / PLC (these need to be applied for separately)

4. CAO information evening - Mount Sackville
Central Applications Office - mechanism used for application for courses at Third Level
1977
5 colleges & 69 courses
1998
28 colleges & c. 300 courses 4

5. CAO information evening - Mount Sackville
45 Colleges in CAO Universities Institutes of Technology Private Colleges
1,300 Courses 5

6. Significant Dates in CAO Calendar
CAO opened November 5th
FEBRUARY 1 Closing Date
(Discount fee of €25 to apply by January 20th)
JULY 1 Closing Date for Change of Mind
All deadlines are 17:15 on the day

7. How to apply Go to www.cao.ie Click on “Apply”
Closing dates are strict to ensure fairness!
Students have already received their CAO handbook with the codes for all the courses (also available online).

9. CAO Handbook The handbook contains:
a reference list of all the HEI (Higher Education Institutions that use CAO):
Detailed information regarding CAO applications, offers and acceptance:
A listing from the HEIs of the courses on offer for entry (subject to change – see alert lists)

10. Restricted courses MUST BE ON THE CAO BY FEBRUARY 1St.
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 1St.
Can remove them later but cannot introduce them after this time.

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

12. 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

14. 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.

15. Level 8
Level 6/7
Pref
Course Code 1
CK101
BN003 (business studies) 2
DC201
TA102 3
AL033
TA101 4
DN021
NC101 5
TR084
TA108 6
DC115
DT315 7
DT366
DT521 8
BN101 9
DT413 10
PD101

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

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

20. 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..

21. 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.

22. In the Second round of offers three more offers are made on CK101 and our applicant, who was second in line, now receives an offer.
She may do nothing and remain in DN201 or she may accept the offer and begin in CK101. 22

23. Any Questions?

24. 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.

25. Both these forms are available online
Exemptions
Students with Irish and/or Language exemptions:
If applying to a NUI college – must fill out exemption form and contact the CAO to inform them.
If applying for TCD – must fill in a language waiver form and contact the CAO to inform them.
Both these forms are available online

26. 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.

27. Advice for 6th 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 few points more creates more possibilities for offers.
Make time for time off – not for socialising but to re- charge.

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