1. Mount Sackville – Class of 2019

2. Introductions Miriam Kenny – Athena & Phoebe
Catherine Flanagan – Helen & Iris
All students will have guidance class (every second week) from now until Christmas.
All students will have opportunity for 1-to-1 appointments throughout the year.

3. Information Evening for 6th Year Parents
CAO – important Dates
Other post-school course options
Survival guide to sixth year

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

5. CAO information evening - Mount Sackville
1977
5 colleges & 69 courses
2000
28 colleges & c. 300 courses
Colleges in CAO Universities Institutes of Technology Private Colleges
c. 1,300 Courses 5

7. Significant Dates in CAO Calendar
CAO opens November 5th
FEBRUARY 1 Initial Closing Date
(Discount fee of €25 to apply by January 20th)
*Restricted courses must be listed by February 1st *
May 5th Change of mind opens
JULY 1 Closing date for change of mind
All deadlines are 17:15 on the day

8. How to apply Go to www.cao.ie
Click on “Apply” (interactive demo for “dummy run”)
Closing dates are strict to ensure fairness.
Students will receive their CAO handbook with the codes for all the courses (also available online).
Spend time familiarising yourself with the website / video guide/ notes for parents etc.

9. CAO Handbook The handbook contains:
A reference list of all the HEIs (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. Qualification Framework

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

13. 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.

14. Level 8
Level 6/7
Pref
Course Code 1
CK101 (Arts in UCC)
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

15. Offers Leaving Cert results issued in August – sent directly to CAO.
HEIs contact CAO and instruct them on how many places to offer on each course.
CAO then makes offers to the required number of applicants on each course starting with the applicant with the highest points and working down until enough places have been offered.

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

17. 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. 17 17

18. 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.

19. 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. 19 19

20. DARE applications
Learning Difficulty or ongoing medical issue
The student 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.

21. Any Questions?

22. QQI / 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.

23. Applications to UK & Northern Ireland
Initial deadline for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and all Oxford and Cambridge Courses is October 15th.
Everything else – January 15th
Will need to write a personal statement and get school reference – please leave plenty of time.

24. Further afield European Universities – visit EUNICAS (www.eunicas.ie)
Many opportunities to study in English in top Universities across Europe.
USA – Education USA (part of US embassy) provides support.

25. 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.
Become familiar with using websites like Qualifax – read the content of the course.
The last word in a course title will be more important than the first words for understanding the content of the degree.

26. Final thoughts
Not all students are ready for further education after school.
Many students in their lifetime will be successful in jobs that don’t even exist today.
We encourage them to think of this step as the next stage of their education – NOT career guidance!

27. Dates for your diary UCD Open Day – Saturday 3rd November
Trinity Open Day – 10th November
Blanchardstown IT Open Evening – 14th November
DCU Open Day - 17th November
Better Options – Very important for DARE applicants – Monday 19th November in RCSI
Maynooth University Open Day- 24th November
DIT Open Day -1st December

28. Websites www.cao.ie – excellent video and parents guide
– list of open days and course search
– website for prospective students to UCD
– website for prospective students to Maynooth University.
– agency for applying to courses in Europe taught through English.
– for courses and applications to the UK & Northern Ireland.
– information about DARE

29. 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.