Information Session for Parents

Sutton Park School 2009

www.cao.ie

Dates and feesJanuary 20th Online Discount

€35

February 1st Normal application €45

May 1 Late online €70

July 1st Closing change of mind Free!

Application FormPart A (Pages 1 & 2)

Sufficient for most Irish Applicants

Part B (Pages 3 & 4) Must be completed by non standard applicants

Includes information about any learning difficulties, other qualifications and for mature students

Page 1Personal DataSignature

DatePage 2

Selection of Courses

Application Form

QualificationsThree levels of Certification• Level 6 Higher Certificate

(formerly Cert)• Level 7 Ordinary Degree

(formerly Dip)• Level 8 Honours Degree

Students choose courses in order of preference

Maximum of ten courses may be chosen from each list

Applying on -lineFollow instructions on screen www.cao.ie

Choose courses in order of preference

Choose method of paymentCredit card / Fee Payment Form

Submit choices

Always print receipt and note application number

Restricted Application CoursesAssessment procedures for these courses including art, drama, film and also medicine.

Clearly identified in the handbook

Must be included in CAO Form by February 1st

Application to Medicine from 2009

1. Must apply by February 1st on CAO (5:15pm)2. Using CAO number, then apply to sit HPAT test.

www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au. Closing date also Feb 1st (23:59). Cost €95

3. Test date27th February– venues in Dublin and elsewhere. Advised to book centre early!

4. Test 2.5 hours long in 3 sections – logical reasoning/ interpersonal understanding and non-verbal reasoning

Medicine applicationsResults issued late June 2009Maximum score 300, students will also be given a percentile

score to give them an indication of how well they performed against other candidates.

Must also achieve a minimum of 480 in Leaving Cert exams AND minimum entry requirements.

Any student achieving over 550 will be awarded 1 point for every 5 CAO point. i.e. Student achieving 560 will be given Medicine rating of 552. Max score of 600 points becomes 560.

Results of HPAT and Leaving Cert then added together. Maximum possible score 860.

Normal allocation of places then takes place, with students ranked highest being given places.

(top 15 %)

Phase 1 – November until February 1st

Apply and change your mind as often as you like, free of charge.

Phase 2 – February 1st – March 1st

You may amend details and course choices but will pay €10 penalty

Phase 3 – March 1st – April 30th

Interviews and assessments usually scheduled

Phase 4 – May 1st – July 1st

Change of mind, free of charge

Application Process

Alternative routes Medicine / Physiotherapy – Science 325 – 425 points, then post

graduate programme Law – variety of degrees for Blackhall place. For kings Inn law is

ideal – or 2 years diploma req. (arts, private colleges)

Business / marketing – entry at level 6 /7 (330) in DIT and progress through to level 8 (410*)

FETAC route – many linked programmes, nursing, art, business, social science, science

Offer StageLeaving Certificate results –

mid Aug (possibly Wednesday 11th)

Round One Offers – Monday 16th August

Each list separate. Can accept on-line.

Can only move up, never down the list

Can accept or ignore subsequent offers

Level 8 Level 6/7

Pref Course Code Pref

Course Code

1 CK101 1 BN003 (business studies)

2 DC201 2 TA102

3 AL033 3 TA101

4 DN021 4 NC101

5 TR084 5 TA108

6 DC115 6 DT315

7 DT366 7 DT521

8 BN101 8

9 DT413 9

10 PD101 10

How Places are Allocated

When examination results are released in August they are entered into the CAO computer.

The computer checks each applicant’s results. For each course the applicant has applied for, the computer first determines if the applicant has the minimum entry requirements for the course.

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.

How Places are Allocated

The colleges then tell CAO how many places are to be offered 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.

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 10 days 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.

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.

Genuine Order of Preference

• You do not need to guess what the points are going to be for the courses you are interested in.

• Simply list your courses in genuine order of preference from the highest preference 1, to the lowest preference 10.

• If you are entitled to an offer, you will be offered the highest preference that you are entitled to.

Errors made when selecting courses

Students list courses in order of points instead of preference

Student underestimate / overestimate Leaving Certificate results

Poor research into courses College literature /Open Days

Errors made when selecting courses

Some students target low point courses in hope of getting College place

Not considering courses outside certain geographic area

Some target Level 8 courses only and ignore Level 7 & 6 coursesLadder of Opportunity

Ladder of Opportunity

Institutes of Technology offer four year degree programmes which can be studied in stages

Higher Certificate Two years (level 6)Ordinary Degree + One year (level 7)Honours Degree + One year (level 8)

Life Outside CAO

Check for vacant places www.cao.ie

Private Colleges

PLC - Post Leaving Courses

UK – www.ucas.com

UCASUCAS is the UK equivalent of the CAO

WWW. UCAS.COM

All applications must be made online

All communication is electronic – e.g. via website and email

DEADLINESApplying to Oxford OR Cambridge to study

anything – 15th October

Applying to study Medicine; Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry – 15th October

Everything else – January 15th

Before Applyingwww.ucas.ac.ukPick courses – huge choiceBe familiar with a longer application systemPick a refereePrepare a personal statementRegister – Suttonpark is buzzword

UCAS PointsHonours Ordinary

A1 – 90 A1 - 39

A2 – 77 A2 - 26

B1 – 71 B1 - 20

B2 – 64 B2 - 14

B3 – 58 B3 - 7

C1 - 52

C2 - 45

C3 - 39

D1 - 33

D2 - 26

D3 - 20

ChoicesApplying for Medicine, Vet Medicine and

Dentistry – 4 choices

You can apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both (plus additional application form)

Everything else – 6 choices (but remember the one personal statement has to cover all the options)

Application contd.5 Sections for you to complete:

CoursesAbout YouEducationStatementEmployment

2 more sections for school to complete: Reference – you will not seePredicted grades – you will not see

Aptitude assessments for UK BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

For entry to medicine and veterinary schools. English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)

For entry to English courses at the University of Oxford. Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)

For entry into medicine. History Aptitude Test (HAT)

For entry to modern history and a joint honours degrees involving modern history at the University of Oxford. Health Professions Admissions Test (HPAT)

For entry to certain medical courses at the University of Ulster. The National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)

For entry to law. Modern and Medieval Languages Test (MML)

For entry to modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge. Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP)

For entry to mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Cambridgeor) For entry to computer science, natural sciences, engineering and economics at the

University of Cambridge. Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Oxford) formerly known as the PPE Admissions Test

For entry to the philosophy, politics and economics, and the economics and management courses at the University of Oxford. UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)

For entry to medical and dental schools

Offers and InterviewsAfter applying you may be called by the college

for an interview (not always)

Following this you may receive either:Conditional Offer (i.e. you can have the place if you achieve certain grades)Unsuccessful application

Managing your offerIf you receive more than one conditional offer you will

have to choose which is your most preferred option

This becomes your “FIRM ACCEPTANCE”

You may also hold a “INSURANCE ACCEPTANCE” which is another offer which requires lower grades.

UCAS and CAOUCAS and CAO do not communicate to each other

What you choose to apply to and accept offers from has no effect on your CAO application

FIRM or INSURANCE acceptance does not mean that you have to go to UK – you can always decline the offer at a later time

Post Leaving Certificate Courses

Large variety of coursesBusinessArt/DesignMultimediaBeauty TherapyInsurance/BankingTravel/TourismSocial Care

Post Leaving Certificate Courses

Good, recognised qualification

Also may allow students to go onto Degree courses in colleges based on their performance

Should apply March/April / May directly to the PLC

Ideal scenario!In August 2010 students should have many options –

including;

Level 8 honours degreeLevel 6 / 7 ordinary degreeFetac (back up) courseUCAS offer

Retention Rate in College

Non Completion of CoursesUniversities 17%

Colleges of Technology 37%

Reasons Lack of preparation - insufficient research into course

choice Poor choice of course - course chosen was often

only course open to student given points rating

Dos /Don’ts of CAO Applications

Do choose ten options if at all possible

Do not ignore the Level 6/7 route

Do not target low point courses in hope of getting to College

Dos / Don’ts contd.

Do not depend totally on getting your 1st or 2nd choice

- You may be offered your 4th / 5th choice- Be prepared for this!

Do make sure you have other options if you do not get your preferences

Check Alert Lists on CAO website – 195 courses cancelled and 95 new courses introduced since booklet printed.

Significant dates during Offer Stage

Return form to view scripts – Wednesday 18th August

Viewing of Scripts Weekend of 27/28 August

Only the candidate and one person who accompanies her can view the script!Don’t be on holidays!