13 hours ago
Carl O'Brien: ‘What every student (and parent) should know ahead of CAO deadline day'
Late last August I received a phone call from an upset mother. Her son achieved excellent Leaving Cert results – but no CAO offers. She was at a loss to know what had gone wrong.
It turned out he had never spotted a crucial email from the CAO in May, requesting that he confirm personal details such as his examination number. The email lay, undiscovered, in his spam folder until after the CAO first round offers.
Despite securing the points for his first choice, the CAO had no record of his exam number so was unable to process a college offer.
It is harsh – who among us has not missed emails stuck in spam folders – and surely there is a better system. Nonetheless, it happens every year. Hundreds of students are often in the same boat.
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So, what can you do to help make sure your child is on the right track?
Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
1. Check the spam folder
This year the CAO began sending out 'statement of application' emails to Leaving Cert candidates from May 7th onwards asking them to confirm their details . (You can find the instructions for the statement of application process at:
)
On May 2 9, the CAO sent a reminder email to those applicants who had not yet confirmed their account information. The CAO sent another 'final reminder' email earlier today.
It is up to the candidate to spot and correct these details. Often, however, these emails can end up in students' spam accounts. So, be sure to check those details with your son or daughter.
2. Look into accommodation options – now
Many students are thrilled to get their first choice college offer, but a panic begins when they realise accommodation is nowhere to be found. Some end up deferring as a result or taking alternative pathways.
If your son or daughter hasn't started, now is a good time to see if they can either book accommodation or join the queue for on-campus accommodation. Some colleges reserve a proportion of accommodation for first years once CAO offers are made. Student unions are also helpful. Either way, it's worth checking out these options now.
3. List your courses in order of preference – not points requirements
Everyone knows this, of course – but you would be surprised how many don't practice it.
It should be all about what your child
wants
to study – not the prestige of a course or where their friends are going. So, students should list the only courses which they have a real passion for – and will get them out of bed for lectures on a wet Tuesday morning.
4. Don't undersell yourself
Your child may feel the exams didn't go as well as expected. Maybe they're tempted to take a course off their list?
If they're passionate about it, our advice is to leave it there. There is a good chance CAO points will fall this year due to moves to 'deflate' exam results.
Also, supply and demand can lead to a drop in points. For example, the Government approved a significant expansion in training places for health and social care professions recently which could see points drop further in areas like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, radiation therapy, radiography, podiatry, social work, medical science and dietetics. There's a good chance we'll see points reductions in these areas.
4. Check minimum entry requirements
Points requirements for college course are just part of the picture; there may also be minimum entry requirements for subjects, such as maths, English, Irish or sciences. Check
or the relevant college for details.
5. It's not just about the CAO
The CAO is not the be-all and end-all.
Further education and training
offers excellent courses which can also provide a bridge to higher education. There are more
apprenticeships
than ever, including degree-level options. And
tertiary degrees
offer a route into college without the need for any CAO points.
How were the exams for you?
We'd love to hear your feedback on this year's Leaving Cert exams: what were the hardest?; what kind of toll did it take on students?; what changes would you like to see?; are you concerned about grade 'deflation' and its impact on CAO points?
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey, below, and we'll share the results soon:
