Cross and Passion College CAO Information Evening Monday 2 nd December 2013 Elaine McDonnell 6 th Year Guidance Counsellor

Agenda General information Applicants responsibility Important dates Entry requirements Restricted entry courses Application procedure Allocation of places Offers DARE/HEAR Maintenance grant Questions

General Information CAO – Central Applications Office Administrative function – processes applications for undergraduate courses Separate to Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) 47 HEI’s to which students can apply to through the CAO. 9 of these colleges are fee paying Can apply online or on paper Only one application is permitted per year

Applicants Responsibility Research thoroughly all the courses for which an application is made being - Entry requirements (subjects, level, grade) - Course content - Subjects (choice) - Fees - Duration - Progression Route (Level 6 ► Level 7 ► Level 8) - Erasmus option - Work placement - Continuous assessment/final exam

Applicants Responsibility Ensure that the application is submitted accurately and on time Avoid submitting an application close to the closing date Be aware if applying for courses in Private Colleges

Where to research CAO Guide (points) College prospectus 2014 entry Student yearbook and career directory CAO Handbook Internet college website

Where to research Relatives/ friends/ past students/ academic staff in colleges (faculty) Open days

CAO Application Procedure Important Dates CAO opened for applications5 th Nov 2013 Online application (early bird)20 th January €25 Applications online/paperup to 1 st February €40 Late applicationsup to 1 st May online €50 - paper €80

Levels of courses Level 6Higher Certificate HC2 Yrs Level 7Ordinary Degree DG3 Yrs Students can choose up to 10 courses in the level 7/6 box Level 8Honours Degree HD 3/4 Yrs Students can choose up to 10 courses in the level 8 box

Points allocation Points are calculated from ONE sitting of the Leaving Cert only Points total is calculated from SIX best subjects ( 25 bonus points Higher Level Maths) Entry requirement can be satisfied over more than one sitting of the Leaving Cert.

Entry Requirements

Minimum Entry Requirements DN200 – 2HC3 & 4OD3 Specific Subject/Level/Grade Requirement GY207 2HC3 & 4OD3 + HC1 Accounting CW208 2HC3 & 4OD3 + OB3 Maths

Restricted Entry Courses Some courses have early assessment procedures portfolio/auditions/interviews/aptitude tests “Restricted” will be listed beside the courses in the CAO Handbook Must apply for the course by 1 st Feb 2014 Closing date for HPAT – Medicine 20 th January 2014

Alert Lists New courses added since publication of CAO Handbook Some courses no longer running Information available on

CAO Application Procedure Students should list courses in order of GENUINE PREFERENCE not on the basis of their predictions of next years cut off points or on their prediction of their own leaving cert points Students are also encouraged to choose 10 courses for their Level 8 box and 10 courses for their level 7/6 box

CAO Application Procedure Applications can be made online or by paper form Online is the preferred option as fewer chances of error Fees can be paid by Debit/Credit Card or Fee Payment Form Demo run Click on “Apply” and follow the instructions Password Part A requires information which will identify the applicant e.g. Name, address, date of birth, etc Applicant should also ensure that they tick the box re sitting the Leaving Certificate in 2014

CAO Application Procedure Name on Birth Certificate - Name on CAO Application Part B requires information from applicants other than those sitting their Leaving Certificate in 2014 DARE/HEAR/SUSI box Texts/ s from CAO or HEI’s Once a student has registered they can check their application at any time by going into “My Application” Keep proof of sending an application Online – keep acknowledgement sent by CAO Paper – certificate of postage (back of CAO handbook)

CAO Application Procedure Pref Dream Courses Realistic Courses Safety Net

Application may be made for up to 10 Courses in EACH of the TWO categories below. In BOTH cases, courses should be entered in order of preference. Take special care not to mix courses in the different categories Level 8 Pref.Course Code Level 7 & Level 6 Pref.Course Code

Change of mind

CAO Application Procedure Choices on one list do not affect choices on the other list Applications will be assessed by CAO and offers will be made independently but at the same time in respect of each category

What happens after application is made? If you apply online your CAO Application Number will be issued in your Receipt of Online Application CAO will an acknowledgement – opportunity to correct any errors “My Application” facility can then be used The CAO number is private and very important as it will be use in all correspondence between the applicant and CAO for the rest of the year If a student submits a paper application he/she will receive a Statement of Course Choices by 15 th February 2014 (if it’s a late application 15 th May 2014)

What happens after an application is made? A Statement of Application Record is sent to students around the end of May Final acknowledgement from CAO Ensure information is accurate Contact CAO if Statement of Application Record is not received If a student changes their mind they will receive another Statement of Course Choices If no acknowledgement has been received from CAO re course changes then contact CAO by July 7 th 2014

Order of merit list

How places are allocated When Leaving Cert results are released in August they are entered into the CAO computer system For each course the applicant has applied for, the computer will firstly determine if the applicant has the minimum entry requirements for the course If the applicant meets the minimum entry requirements for the course, then the applicants points are calculated for the coursed. All eligible applicants are then placed in a list IN ORDER OF ACADEMIC MERIT, for each course that they applied for

How places are allocated The position of a course on a student’s preference order does not affect their chance of getting a place Depending on their leaving cert points they may be higher up some lists than others The same procedure takes place for both level 7/6 lists and level 8 lists Offers are based on points and can change from year to year Students may get two offers in August – one from each list – but may only accept one

How places are allocated An applicant will be offered THEIR HIGHEST PREFERENCE COURSE for which they are ENTITLED to All lower preference courses will now be wiped from the applicants list of choices

How places are allocated Admission officers of HEI’s will inform the CAO how many places to offer on each course CAO will then make offers to the required number of applicants on each course starting with the applicant with the highest points and working down the list until enough places have been offered

Arts NUIM – 100 Places to be offered Course cut off points = 330

Arts UCD – 100 Places to be offered Course cut-off point = 330 points

Random selection Shown by * beside the cut-off points Two or more candidates have the same leaving cert points and there are not enough places available on the course to offer the candidates with the points At the time of application each candidate is given a random number Highest random number gets offered the place E.g. 410* not every applicant with 410 points was offered a place on the course, but applicants with over 410 points would have been offered a place

How places are allocated Having been offered a place an applicant must decide whether to accept it or not If the place is not accepted CAO will offer the place to another candidate in round two of offers (Order of Merit List) Regardless of whether an applicant accepts an offer or not, they will still be considered for an offer of higher preference courses if one becomes available in later rounds of offers Official round two No official round three – however CAO will continue to make offers until course places have been filled

Offers of a place August 18 th 2014 is the expected date of Round One of offers Post and online A REPLY DATE will be printed on offer notices (25 th August 2014) 5:15pm on that date Offers can be accepted online A student may lose the place if the offer is not dealt with properly and on time

Offers of a place 27 th August 2014 is the expected date for the issue of Round Two offers Acceptance of a course will supersede the acceptance of a previous course Offers will continue to be issued until October to fill any vacancies which may arise A student will be offered a place in the highest of their course preferences to which they are entitled (if any) Later offers for higher preferences Do not have to accept a subsequent offer

Acceptance Online or by post Receipt of acceptance 3 days after the reply date CAO will receipt if the student has accepted the offer online

Points to note Carefully read all of the documents and instructions from CAO Do not ignore any correspondence from CAO “Contact us” section on the CAO website (unclear on any matter) Always quote the CAO Application Number in any correspondence with CAO Print/Save a copy of all correspondence with CAO

Points to note Deferral – This is arranged after an offer is made Students are recommended to check with the HEI in advance about their deferral arrangements and conditions If deferral is an option the student must contact the HEI (Letter) Apply through CAO the following year listing only the course which they have deferred

Points to note LCVP – May be counted as a sixth subject and points awarded but may not be accepted with regard to passing a subject (Entry requirements of HEI/Course) Vacant Places – will be advertised on the CAO website Free if the student has already applied Meet entry requirements Acceptance of a vacant place supersedes any other offer/acceptance

Points to note Transfers may be possible Special Maths exam Courses recognised by Teaching Council Scholarships – Sporting/Academic College prospectus/college website

Non CAO Options Post Leaving Certificate Course (PLC’s) FETAC Level 5/Level 6 (Link to HEI’s) Apprenticeships Defence Forces Gardai Direct to employment Teagasc UCAS (UK and Northern Ireland) - 15 th January Different application procedure - Personal Statement/Reference/Predicted Grades

Fee Paying Colleges Students should note that some of the HEI’s listed in the CAO Handbook are Private Colleges Tuition fees are not covered and they range from €4,500 - €5,500 per year Tax relief is available at 20% Griffith College, Dublin Business School, American College Dublin, Independent Colleges, ICD Business School, Grafton College of Management Sciences

Supplementary Admission Routes DARE – Disability Access Route to Education HEAR – Higher Education Access Route Both schemes allow students to enter certain courses on a reduced points basis Student’s must indicate their intention to apply for either/both schemes when applying to the CAO ( Section on the application form) Supplementary Information Form SIF Will not affect application Special entry requirements must still be met 1 st March – 1 st April 2014 (supporting documentation) List of participating HEI’s

Grants SUSI – Student Universal Support Ireland Family Gross income is the key factor to be assessed Apply for a grant before being offered a place in college Online system – guided through each section SUSI Support Desk Student may be provisionally awarded a student grant and after registration of the course has been confirmed SUSI will arrange to pay the grant into your bank account on a monthly basis Change of circumstances

Rates of Maintenance Grants Non-Adjacent Rate Adjacent Rate Live more than 45km from the college 100% grant €3025 Partial Levels of grants available Live 45km or less from the college 100% grant €1215 Partial Levels of grants available

Best of luck to all 6 th YR Students