CAO Information Evening Patricia Kennedy Guidance
Counsellor
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CAO General Info. Centralised application system for 43 Irish 3
rd level institutions, including 7 fee-paying colleges.
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National Framework of Qualifications 10 Levels
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Selection of courses Apply for up to 20 courses Level 8 list
Choose 10 Honours Degrees Level 6/7 list Choose 10 Higher
Certificates Ordinary Degrees 4
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STAGE 1: ENTRY REQUIREMENTS These must be satisfied before
points are considered
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Level 6 & 7- Minimum Entry Requirement 5 passes for most
level 6 & level 7 courses although some colleges e.g. DKIT
require Minimum 200 points College Prospectuses need to be
consulted
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Level 8 Minimum Entry Requirement Different colleges have
different entry requirements NUI colleges (UCD, UCC, NUIM &
NUIG)require 2 HC3 and 4 Passes NUI colleges have a second language
requirement also- some exceptions e.g. Science and engineering
courses TCD requires 3 HC3 and 3 passes CHECK PROSPECTUS
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STAGE 2: Faculty Requirements Examples.... 1.Pharmacy TCD and
UCC HC3 in Chemistry and a 2 nd science subject 2.Physiotherapy
(TCD) HC3 in 2 science subjects or HC3 in 1 science and higher
maths 3.Primary Teaching HC3 in Irish
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If all Entry Requirements and Faculty requirements (if needed)
are met applicant is deemed Qualified to apply. THEN Points are
considered.
POINTS SYSTEM Points are calculated from ONE sitting of the
Leaving Certificate only. Points total is calculated from SIX best
subjects New system of Bonus points are awarded for Honours
Mathematics as outlined earlier (Maximum points now 625) Entry
Requirements can be satisfied over more than one sitting of the
Leaving Certificate
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Example of Points Calculation Irish HC2 English HD1 Maths HD2
French HB2 Biology HC1 Geography OA1 History HB3 65 55 50+25 = 75
80 70 60 75 Total = 425 (leave out 55 point result)
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RESTRICTED ENTRY COURSES Some courses have Interviews/ Aptitude
tests/Portfolio/Auditions Must apply to CAO by February 1 st for
these courses Medicine HPAT test March 2nd _ apply by January 20 th
Check CAO handbook page 4
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 So what is the best way to fill in the
courses? Dream Courses Realistic Courses Banker Courses
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Making an Application Applications can be made online or by
paper form. Always keep proof of sending application. Online-print
screen receipt. Paper-obtain certificate of posting. Fill out both
course lists In genuine order of Preference- not based on
Predictions of next years grades.
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Application Dates and Fees Paper ApplicationFeeDates Normal401
st February : 5.15pm Late80801 May : 5.15 pm Online
ApplicationFeeDates Early Bird2520 th January : 5.15 pm Normal401
st February : 5.15pm Late501 st May : 5: 15 pm Change of MindNo
FeeCloses 1 ST July : 5.15pm
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After Making Application Receive CAO number and Statement of
Course Choices check this carefully. Some students may be called
for extra assessments. Receive Statement of Application Record
(Before the end of May) check details carefully. Change of Mind
facility becomes available use sparingly and carefully. (May 5 th -
1 st July) Leaving Cert. Results are sent to CAO. (14 th August)
Places are allocated and offered by post and online.(19 th August)
Students accept, reject or defer offered places. Further rounds of
offers are made until all course places are filled.
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Change of Mind After 5 th May you can register a change of
course choices online, Or Use Change of Mind Form. Print any
changes made 18 This facility closes on 1 st of July at 5.15pm
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Offer of Places 2 offers may be received: 1 from Level 8 list
and 1 from Level 6/7 list. ONLY ONE OFFER MAY BE ACCEPTED When you
are offered one of your course preferences on a list, automatically
you will be excluded for consideration from all courses below that
YOU MAY NOT MOVE DOWN IN YOUR ORDER OF PREFERENCES This is why it
is so important to fill in form in your Genuine Order of Preference
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Offer of places (contd.) By way of example: Lets say you have
350 points and your course preference on the CAO form is: 1.Physics
2.Business 3.Arts 4. Tourism 20 Order of Preference Course1 st
Round Offer Points 2 nd Round Offer Points 3 rd Round Offer Points
1Physics360 2Business360350 3Arts350345 4Tourism340
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Places Allocation Students should think carefully about not
accepting one of these offers, as they may not receive any further
offers. Regardless of whether or not they accept a course in round
1, they will still be offered a higher preference course in
subsequent rounds if they become entitled one.
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Random Entry Two or more candidates on the same points Random
number given to each application Highest random Number gets the
place Shown by an * For example 370* means not every candidate with
370 points got a place but everyone with 375 would have
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You are recommended to check with the college in advance about
their deferral conditions and arrangements- some courses where
deferral will be difficult or impossible. You are recommended to
check with the college in advance about their deferral conditions
and arrangements- some courses where deferral will be difficult or
impossible. When offered place, contact admissions office of
university IMMEDIATELY mark deferred entry- must be done at least 2
days before REPLY DATE on offer notice decision will be made When
offered place, contact admissions office of university IMMEDIATELY
mark deferred entry- must be done at least 2 days before REPLY DATE
on offer notice decision will be made Read the CAO Handbook about
this page 6.
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Grants Online application for grants 2012-2013 is available now
at www.studentfinance.ie Or www.grantsonline.ie Register>
Complete Application > Decision will follow Applications will be
accepted up to 31 st of August
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ACCESS SCHEMES: 1 25 DARE Disability Acess Route to Education
11 Colleges participating A quota of places offered to students
with disability on a reduced points basis. Must meet minimum entry
requirements See: www.accesscollege.ie for list of disabilities
eligiblewww.accesscollege.ie
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ACCESS SCHEMES 26 HEAR Higher Education Access Route For
students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Quota
of places offered on a reduced points basis. Must meet minimum
entry requirements Must satisfy 3 of the 6 indicators See
www.accesscollege.ie for further
informationwww.accesscollege.ie
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DARE and HEAR Schemes Must apply to CAO by February 1 st Final
completion of DARE/HEAR forms due on March 1 st indicate you wish
to apply for the scheme Final date for submission of supporting
documentation to arrive in CAO by 1 st April CHECK CAO BOOKLET PAGE
8 AND 9
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5th November, 2012 > CAO Online facility opens at 12.00 noon
20th January, 2013 >Early Bird offer ends 1 st February, 2013
Closing date for receipt of normal applications By 15th February,
2013 Receive Statement of Course Choices 1st May, 2013 Closing date
for receipt of late applications Before/By 31st May, 2013 Receive
Statement of Application Record From 5 th May, 2013 Change of mind
facility opens. 1st July, 2013 Latest date for receipt of change of
mind in CAO. Late August, 2013 19 th (expected date) First round of
offers will commence. CAO Timetable
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Non- CAO Options Apprenticeships Defence Forces Garda Direct to
Employment Post Leaving Certificate Courses FETAC links scheme
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Apprenticeships Find a suitable employer Must be approved by Fs
Employer must register apprentice within two weeks of starting Meet
the minimum educational requirements i.e. 5 Passes in Junior
Cert.
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Further Education Training Awards Council FETAC Links to Higher
Education Institutes Especially Important for Students who may not
make the CAO Points Can begin with a PLC and end up with a
Doctorate Mature Entry to College (age 23 or over)
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Post Leaving Certificate courses (PLCs) Courses in very high
demand in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Apply early to be called for
interview in March Contact each college/ check college websites to
see when they will start accepting your application. Most PLC
courses expect to fill all places in March interviews Requirements
usually 5 passes in your Leaving Certificate. Please consult
prospectus for 2013 entry requirements. Importance of Interview and
some experience of the career area applying for.
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PLC courses continued Remember that PLC courses do not provide
an automatic link to Higher Education But a possible pathway to
Higher Education through FETAC Links Scheme This is competitive and
you must excel in your PLC course to proceed further.
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Other Alternatives UCAS Applying to colleges in UK and Northern
Ireland Closing Date 15th January except for Medicine, Dentistry,
Vet, Oxford & Cambridge closing date 15th October Some require
aptitude tests. Fees are applicable. Must apply online using UCAS
Apply Personal statement is very important All 6th Year students
who are interested in applying must have come forward to Guidance
Counsellor by now.
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Destination Survey 2012
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Institutions of choice 2012 Others (1 Student) = NUIG, Marino
Institute of Ed, All Hallows, Inchicore College of Further Ed
Ballsbridge, Ballyfermot, Killester
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Facts 60% of employers seek graduates of any discipline Quality
of degree is far more important than the subjects It is better to
excel in a subject not in great demand than to be average in one
that is.
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DATES OF INTEREST Monday 12th November 6th Year PTM January
20th -CAO onlineEarly Bird 25 February 1 st - CAO Deadline January
28 th February 8th Mocks February 26th Mock Interviews June Leaving
Cert. begins August 14th - Results August 19th - First Round
offers
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Who to talk to? Relatives Past pupils Admissions/Academic staff
of colleges Guidance Counsellor Interest Inventories / Guidance
interviews Access to sources of information Appointments for
parents
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Useful Resources Internet Qualifax www.qualifax.ie Irish
courses databasewww.qualifax.ie CAO www.cao.ie Contains links to
course websiteswww.cao.ie Career Directions
www.careerdirections.iewww.careerdirections.ie Careers Portal
www.careersportal.iewww.careersportal.ie Grants
www.studentfinance.iewww.studentfinance.ie College websites
(Addresses in CAO Handbook) College Prospectuses- 2013 Entry CAO
Handbook 2013 Newspapers- Irish Times, Independent Internet 40
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Research thoroughly all the courses for which she is making an
application. Be au fait with all aspects of the application system
used (CAO) for these courses i.e. procedures, dates, fees, rules
etc Reminders It is the applicants responsibility to
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Homework and Study The recommended amount of time spent by a
6th Year student doing homework and study should be: 3 hours per
night six times per week, i.e. 21 hours per week. Reminders
Contd.
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The World is your Oyster Aim high Match the goal with the
necessary work Never too late 43