What parents should know when children start college life
‘Almost 4,500 every year in Ireland do not progress from year one to year two … There’s a lot of unhappy students and parents’
CAO
CAO and Leaving Cert news
Advice for college first years: ‘You need to force yourself to go to at least one club’
If initially it can seem a bit hard to break into circles, clubs and societies are key to settling in to college life, says one fourth year
Cost of college: How much can you expect to pay for third-level education in Ireland?
Rent, food, travel, books, laptops and the €2,500 contribution fee add up to a considerable amount for students and families
Starting college: ‘The social life, making new friends, new connections, the education’
New horizon beckons for teenager who hails from DRC but has progressed from St Aidan’s Community School in Tallaght
Good cheer breaks out on Today with David McCullagh. Should we panic?
The normally doleful RTÉ Radio 1 presenter eventually eases back into his customary demeanour as talk turns to hosepipe bans
Relief at securing a college place: ‘I’m just going to enjoy Galway city’
Having been denied Dare, Grace McNamara is very excited to have secured an arts place
Still plenty of options for those who didn’t receive an offer
Applicants who receive no offer can check the CAO’s ‘available places’ facility, or wait for Round 2
CAO points and college places: Good news and bad for the class of 2026
For some, the good fortune of high points is countered by the misfortune of random selection
How to study at third level and what to expect in your first year
Many students find the change from learning at second level challenging, but there are a variety of supports in place
Education matters: ‘Committing to something for four years, I needed to think about it’
When the offer came through, Alex Murphy was unsure if he wanted to pursue the course
‘It felt like I’d won’: CAO delight on anniversary of teen’s diabetes diagnosis
Danny Goff says moving to Maynooth will pose challenges, but he can’t wait to get started
Points rise in over half of all college courses across Ireland
Campaigners call for reform of ‘pressure cooker’ points system
CAO points 2026: Students receive round one offers
Leaving Cert students to find out points requirements for third-level courses amid CAO first-round offers
CAO round one offers bring delight, surprise and disappointment
Applications for veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and medicine all increased this year
Got a CAO offer? The temptation is to accept immediately, but take your time
How to accept or defer – and what happens if you get an upgrade in your Leaving Cert points
‘I left school without filling out CAO form’: Louth GAA’s Sam Mulroy insists Leaving Cert ‘doesn’t define you’
Businessman who runs his own gym says he ‘got 200 points in my Leaving Certificate, and still ended up with a Master’s degree’
CAO helpdesk 2026: our experts answer your questions
Submit your queries to our education specialists
Fall in Leaving Cert grades will not lead to points drop
Grades may be down, but applications to college are up
What’s college life like for disabled students?
Specialised disability support services are improving, but stigma still exists and transition to third level can be a challenge
Third-level students warned of tightening accommodation options as CAO offers come in
Gardaí urge students seeking vacancies to protect themselves against financial scams
Restricted courses: It’s difficult when everyone around you is going, ‘oh, you’ll get in’
Students typically apply for restricted courses earlier in the CAO process
Huge range of options now available to school leavers to secure their desired course choices
Further Education sector growing in popularity with school leavers
Leaving Cert: All thoughts now move to CAO round one offers
Good luck on Wednesday, and please do get in touch if you have any questions
Leaving Cert students query free fees, Dare/Hear, and off-key music
Irish Times Help desk team continue to respond to readers’ questions
What impact will ongoing grade-enhancement reductions have on CAO points?
Continuing enhancement of Leaving Cert results, even at a reduced level, means an ongoing distorting effect
Leaving Cert results: Will CAO points rise or fall? The questions students are asking
Many school leavers are concerned about points requirements for courses. But there are also career pathways beyond the traditional route
Leaving Cert results: Tears and joy as students receive results; grades down compared with last year
Leaving Cert results have been delivered to more than 730 second-level schools, and are available online now
I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert
Being rejected from NCAD at 17 felt devastating, but more than two decades later Rachel knows one letter did not determine her future
‘Mum is in tears, she can’t talk’: Student who left school in second year gets 625 points in Leaving Cert
She studied the Leaving Cert course through online grinds, which she worked to pay for, and through the use of free online teaching videos on YouTube
Balancing act continues as Leaving Cert grades drop back by an average of just over 1%
Timelines for fully removing pandemic-related post-marking adjustment will continue to be informed by the 2026 experience
Leaving Cert points calculator: How many CAO points are your results worth?
First round college offers will be out on August 30th
Appeal, wait, go abroad, repeat: what can you do if you don’t get your first CAO choice?
Students from the class of 2026 have more options than ever
You have your Leaving Cert results. Now what?
Stay calm and ensure you are clear on how to interpret your grades as they relate to your college requirements
Leaving Cert results: One of the most beloved subjects proves, yet again, to be one of the hardest
Physics and chemistry are often perceived as difficult subjects, but they tend to have a high H1 rate
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
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