.
Guidance Counsellor Billy Ryle says 2023 promises to be a great year for CAO college applicants, but he urges students to keep an eye on the timeline…
As a new year begins with renewed hope and expectation, college applicants must focus on the CAO form as the deadline looms large.
Indeed, it’s shaping up to be a very promising year for the 80,000 plus applicants – about 2,500 from Kerry – seeking a third level college course. More than 50,000 college places will be available next August.
Applicants have until 5pm on 1st February to submit a completed application form. So, use the remaining weeks wisely. Carefully consider your course choices. Follow your heart but keep an eye on the jobs market.
Continued below…
.
Before Christmas, CAO release the finalised 2022 offers and acceptance statistics. Last year, 67,075 applicants received at least one offer in 104,899 offers made by CAO in its various rounds of offers.
The offers consisted of 64,998 at Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degrees) where demand is always strong and 39,901 at Level7/6 (Ordinary Bachelor Degrees/Higher Certificates) where interest continues to decline.
CAO always issues more offers than there are places available in anticipation of a level of refusal by applicants. Offers are issued independently in respect of the two lists (Level 8 and Level 7/6), so it’s well worth filling in both lists.
The net CAO applicant acceptance figure in 2022 was 49,459 – 43,207 at Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degrees) and 6,252 at Level 7/6 (Ordinary Level Degrees/Higher Certificates).
Amazingly, 17,616 applicants to CAO in 2022 rejected their third level college offers in favour of other options. So, with good research and due care with the application it’s not very difficult to get into a higher education course.
Continued below…
.
Since the new Leaving Cert grading system and CAO common points scale were introduced in 2017, points’ requirements for many courses have stabilised.
As the ‘calculated, accredited and enhanced grades’ considerably inflated course points requirements during the past three years, it might be wiser to consult the 2019 cut off points as a guide to likely points requirements in 2023.
But keep in mind that points’ requirements for courses fluctuate from year to year, so predicting cut off points is an inaccurate science.
Each Leaving Cert candidate should aim to achieve her/his best possible result in that exam. Points’ requirements for courses will take care of themselves in due course.
The CAO processes applications for admission to undergraduate courses in third level colleges in Ireland. Every public sector university, college and institute in the country, as well as a number of private colleges, participates in the CAO system.
An applicant may choose from the entire range of courses in the CAO Handbook 2023. The courses are categorised as ‘Level 8’ or ‘Level 7/6’. The ‘Level 8’ category contains the Honours Bachelor Degrees while the ‘Level 7/6’ category contains Ordinary Bachelor Degrees/Higher Certificates.
All you have to do is submit a single application to compete for one of the available third-level places. The interactive online application system, ‘Apply’ has made the process very straightforward.
‘Apply’ is easy to follow, particularly as the CAO provides an ‘Interactive Demo’ to enable you make a trial application.
The CAO Handbook 2023 also contains detailed easy-to-follow information on how to apply for the courses on offer. The interactive online application service will remain open on the CAO website, www.cao.ie until 5pm on 1st February.
The fee is €30, if you apply by 20th January and €45 thereafter until the 1st February.
Before you apply, study the CAO Handbook 2023 – PDF format or Personalised – which explains how to apply for a third level college place.
The colleges in the CAO system are listed in alphabetical order by location. The courses in each college are listed directly under the college title, with ‘Level 8’ courses being listed separately from ‘Level 7/6’ courses.
Select your personal preferences from the entire range of courses in the Handbook. Each course is assigned a code, which you enter on the application. You may apply for up to ten courses in each of the two categories, listed in order of your preference.
As the CAO Handbook 2023 doesn’t contain information about general academic requirements, specific course requirements nor content of courses, consult the colleges’ Prospecti and/or websites for that information.
Consider the potential career value of each course for which you are applying. Play to your strengths as you do your course research during the next few weeks.
Jot down your personal career profile, including such variables as ability, achievement, application, aptitude, ambition, values, interests and personality (5AVIP). Select courses that suit you in order to have a fulfilling and successful college experience.
CAO 2023 APPLICATION TIMELINE
• 20th Jan: apply by 5pm to avail of the online discount rate of €30
• 20th Jan: closing date to register for HPAT (Under Graduate Med.) test
• 29th Jan: closing date to register for MSAP (Mature Students) test
• 30th Jan: closing date to register for GAMSAT (Graduate Medicine) test
• 1st Feb: online change of course choices (free) close at 5pm
• 1st Feb: normal closing date, at 5pm, for applications
• 3rd Feb: online facility to amend course choices opens at noon (€10 fee)
• 17th/25th Feb: HPAT-Ireland test takes place
• 1st March: closing date, at 5pm, for amending course choices
• 1st March: completed online HEAR/DARE forms must be submitted by 5pm
• 1st March: closing date, at 5pm for completion of mature student application form
• 4th/8th March: MSAP test takes place
• 6th March: late application facility opens at 12.00 noon (€60 fee)
• 15th March: HEAR/DARE supporting documentation must arrive in CAO by 5pm
• 18th/22nd March: GAMSAT test takes place
• 1st May: closing date, at 5pm, for late applications
• 5th May: online change of mind facility (free) opens at 12.00 noon
• 31st May: Check and Confirm reminder sent to all applicants before this date
• Late June: HPAT-Ireland test results released
• 1st July: change of mind facility (free) closes at 5pm
• 22nd July: exceptional late closing date at 5pm for those already in 3rd level
Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
