The CAO – the theory and realityThe points for any third-level course can rise or fall each year and is determined by supply and demandWed Jan 06 2016 - 02:00
A step-by-step guide to applying for a college place this yearYou need to register now to apply for college through the CAO, but you have until July 1st to make a final decision on your course preferencesWed Jan 06 2016 - 02:00
Life after the Leaving Cert: Where do you start?Don’t have a clue what to do after the Leaving? Don’t panic, you don’t have to decide on the rest of your life just the next few yearsWed Jan 06 2016 - 01:00
Ask Brian: How do I reapply for the Dare or Hear scheme?Can I carry forward my eligibility for third-level alternative admissions schemes?Tue Dec 15 2015 - 06:00
Ruling out statistical abberation at heart of feeder tablesSchools with dramatically falling numbers can have grossly inflated progression ratesThu Dec 03 2015 - 01:00
Analysis: What the feeder tables tell usExplaining the progression charts of Irish secondary schoolsThu Dec 03 2015 - 01:00
Ask Brian: What can my daughter do if she leaves university?My daughter is most unhappy with her architecture course she started in SeptemberTue Dec 01 2015 - 00:00
Ask Brian: Can my son pick up tech drawing for the Leaving Cert?He is in first year but couldn’t choose tech drawing as the class was fullTue Nov 24 2015 - 05:00
Ask Brian: How can my son get the help he needs at third level?The lack of one-to-one support is shockingTue Nov 17 2015 - 06:00
Ask Brian: Is move to ebooks in secondary schools a good idea?Poor ICT teacher skills are a recipe for disaster in the classroomTue Nov 10 2015 - 07:00
Ask Brian: Any pointers on applying for college?Don’t panic: students can change course preferences completely in the 10 days after the Leaving CertTue Nov 03 2015 - 07:00
College open days: Choosing a course? Do your homework firstYou’ll be spending years of your life at college. Open days give you a great chance to assess how good a fit your choices could beTue Nov 03 2015 - 01:00
Ask Brian: How do I stop my child from being bullied?I have spoken to the principal and teacher but the problem remainsTue Oct 27 2015 - 04:00
English classes are a mess following ASTI vote on junior cycle reformAsk Brian: Unless it is resolved by Christmas, junior cycle reform may collapse entirelyMon Oct 19 2015 - 12:00
Ask Brian: How can I nudge my daughter towards a Stem career?She has an aptitude for science and maths but she sees the area as being just for geeksTue Oct 13 2015 - 06:00
Ask Brian: How will random selection for CAO courses change?New grading and points systems should greatly reduce the random nature of offersTue Oct 06 2015 - 06:00
Ask Brian: What can my son do during Communion class time?I resent the class time lost in what the parents of older children in the school describe as a doss year educationallyWed Sept 30 2015 - 11:36
Ask Brian . . . Should our son move school just after starting?A new regular feature that answers readers’ education queriesWed Sept 30 2015 - 11:35
Ask Brian: My daughter has begun sixth year and seems to be flounderingShe’s a bright girl with good ability, but is more interested in her social life and clothesWed Sept 30 2015 - 11:35
Ask Brian: Can you buy success in the Hpat tests?The controversial entry tests for medicine may only benefit those able to payWed Sept 30 2015 - 11:34
Further education has been reorganised, but on the ground little seems to have changedColleges still working independently to fill course places and retain teachersTue Sept 15 2015 - 00:00
Bad news for students as few points drop in CAO second roundJust under 3,000 places offered in CAO second round, which will disappoint manyThu Aug 27 2015 - 06:10
No CAO offer after the second round? You still have optionsThe CAO isn’t the only way to access third level. If you didn’t get your choice of college offer, there are other routesWed Aug 26 2015 - 17:06
If you have a disability, don’t hesitate to tell your collegeCollege Choice: Support and access services should be contacted before the year startsFri Aug 21 2015 - 01:00
Supports available to reduce the cost of collegeCollege Choice: First SUSI payment due on September 25thThu Aug 20 2015 - 01:01
CAO 2015: What to do if you didn’t receive an offerIt is worth taking time to think about your options as there is no one route into a careerWed Aug 19 2015 - 00:15
Give yourself the best chance of getting a CAO offerEven those who missed out on a first-round offer can still get a place in a collegeTue Aug 18 2015 - 10:18
CAO first round: What to do if you didn’t get an offerDon’t panic: a college place might still be within your graspMon Aug 17 2015 - 10:00
CAO first round: So you have a course offer – what now?Here’s how to deal with the offer of a place you received today, or an offer in future roundsMon Aug 17 2015 - 10:00
Focus on Stem subjects at school leads to high points for collegeCAO points show ‘it’s the economy, stupid’ as many courses are harder to get intoMon Aug 17 2015 - 06:02
Brian Mooney: How to deal with offers from the CAOOn Monday morning students will be able to access their CAO offer with their passwordSat Aug 15 2015 - 01:00
Leaving Cert: Will CAO points go up or down for the course you want?The offers are due on Monday, but what are the college entry requirements likely to be?Thu Aug 13 2015 - 21:52
Leaving Cert: How to challenge your exam resultsIf you feel you should have done better, you might consider getting papers remarkedThu Aug 13 2015 - 07:00
The Leaving Cert results have arrived. What now?CAO offers for college places will be made on Monday. What can you expect to happen next, and how do you handle it?Wed Aug 12 2015 - 07:00
Rise in numbers getting honours IrishMore students took higher level papers, especially in Stem subjectsWed Aug 12 2015 - 06:00
What to do if you’re unhappy with your Leaving Cert gradesIf you feel you should have done better, you can view your script to decide if it’s worth having it recheckedWed Aug 12 2015 - 05:00
CAO points likely to rise for law and engineeringAnalysis shows points for arts and science courses are likely to stay at same levelMon Jul 13 2015 - 09:02
HPat scores for medical school entry down for second yearTests examines logical and non-verbal reasoning and inter-personal understandingMon Jun 22 2015 - 17:21
School’s out: Time to focus on those college choicesStudents still have until July 1st to finalise their course selections on the CAO formTue Jun 16 2015 - 05:00
FAQs: All you need to know about the CAOWith exams out of the way, this is the time to review your course choices and get them right. Here is some advice on how to handle the CAO processTue Jun 16 2015 - 04:00
Exams advice for parents: How to support your son or daughterRemember, these papers are not designed to catch students out, writes Brian MooneyWed Jun 03 2015 - 01:00
How new college entry routes are changing the CAONot all courses are offered on points alone, for good reason, but unless funding increases, many students are not going to get a third-level placeMon May 25 2015 - 11:00
Postgraduate study: Get a job and earn moreIs it worth spending another few years at college? An advanced degree can help a graduate become more employable and earn a higher salaryTue Mar 10 2015 - 02:00
How to find the right postgraduate courseMore than half of all undergraduates now go on to postgrad study – and there’s plenty to choose fromTue Mar 10 2015 - 01:40
Conversion courses: choosing the right onePostgraduate degree can be a great springboard to a specialised areaTue Mar 10 2015 - 01:30
CAO experience shows need for changes to application systemStudents should be able to switch college options after release of Leaving Cert resultsMon Mar 09 2015 - 06:00
A disability needn’t lessen the chance of studying at third levelComprehensive supports are available in most third-level colleges for students with disabilities or at disadvantageWed Jan 28 2015 - 16:03
College Choice 2015: Scholarships can cushion high cost of collegeSome offer financial support, others are based on academic or sporting prowessWed Jan 14 2015 - 00:00
Opting to study in the UK, Europe and beyondCollege Choice: More and more students are broadening their horizons and pursuing courses abroadTue Jan 13 2015 - 00:00
The advantages to being a mature student at third levelThere are also challenges for over-23s applying for and attending universityMon Jan 12 2015 - 01:00