By Eimear Dinneen - 3 minute readHere we’ve put together 5 things you should know before submitting your CAO application.
Many students get so fixed on going to a particular college that they only pick courses in that college. If you take the time to explore what different universities offer you may stumble upon a degree that you haven't heard of but are interested in.
Remember points go up as well as down, and it happens that students' results can be vastly different to what they expected. Forget the idea that you should do a high points course just because you got high points. Do a course you are genuinely interested in regardless of points. You’ll be happier in the long run and you’ll do better at something you’re interested in.
If you're curious, check out careersportal.ie for the points history of a course you're interested in. (However, do keep in mind that there's no way of predicting points for your exam year!)
Fill in the course you most want as No. 1, and 2nd preference as No. 2 and so on to choice No. 10. Remember it does happen that students could be offered their 9th choice on the list.
Also, don’t forget to fill in another ten level 6/7 courses!
Do you know what you’ll be studying in each of the courses you select?
If not, definitely look into what 'modules' you'll be studying during your degree. Sometimes degree titles can be misleading, so it 's worth your time to look at the curriculum. For example, if you're interested in a Data Science degree, then you should know that a lot of your modules will relate to maths and computer science.
Can you fulfil the basic entry requirements for every course you put down?
If you’re unsure check out the college’s website, cao.ie or qualifax.ie.
You might be tempted to ignore some degrees because they don't aim towards a specific career. For example, if you study Engineering you can peruse a career in Engineering, but if you study Arts then your career path might not be as straight forward.
However, it's better to study something you are interested in rather than study something for the sake of employability. It's more cost effective to choose a course you'll enjoy and complete, than a course you'll dislike and eventually drop out of.
Additionally, the job market is constantly evolving, so it's hard to predict what jobs will be in demand by the time you finish your degree. Hence, basing your choice on what's in demand right now could be risky.
The normal closing date for submitting applications is 5pm on the 1st of February.
An online application costs €30 before January 20th, €45 thereafter.
The Online Change of Mind facility becomes available on the 7th of May for free.
Courses are awarded in order of preference provided you’ve the points necessary.
Make sure you have the correct course code and course reference.
In the 2nd round offers, you may be offered a course of a higher preference.
For the most up to date CAO deadlines, click here.
We know it’s hard to have decisions like this thrown at you at a time when study is leaving you with little else to think about. Our advice is to take some time out, talk to people you trust and really make an effort at getting the CAO application right so that once the offers come out, you won’t be left disappointed!
