Step-by-step guide to applying for a college place in 2022You 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 choiceTue Jan 11 2022 - 01:00
My son isn’t interested in going to college. How can we change his mind?Ask Brian: Step back and give him space and time to figure out his own pathwayTue Jan 11 2022 - 00:00
Feeder schools: Five take-away points from the latest dataMore students from Deis schools secured places on high-points courses than from fee-paying schools but disparity remainsFri Jan 07 2022 - 01:01
Feeder Schools: Explaining the dataIroning out statistical quirks in the school league tablesFri Jan 07 2022 - 01:00
Explaining the progression charts of Irish secondary schoolsIt is important to understand the component parts: there are two key numbers associated with each school listedFri Jan 07 2022 - 01:00
My son is keen on studying English but I’m worried he’ll struggle to find workAsk Brian: Arts students are very employable and equipped for a range of career optionsTue Dec 21 2021 - 00:00
My daughter wants to study medicine. Are grinds for the Hpat worth it?Ask Brian: Practising sample tests and questions is highly effective preparationTue Dec 14 2021 - 00:00
My daughter’s third-level experience is pretty dismal. Is this normal?Ask Brian: Covid and rising costs have changed the face of college life for today’s studentsTue Dec 07 2021 - 00:00
I want to be a vet, but I’ll never get 600 CAO points. Are there other options?Ask Brian: There are programmes abroad where graduate demand is strongTue Nov 30 2021 - 00:00
My daughter worries she will not get the points for teaching. Are there other options?Ask Brian: There are affordable degree options in the EU taught through EnglishTue Nov 23 2021 - 00:00
My son’s teachers are not qualified to teach their subjects. Is this allowed?Ask Brian: Teacher supply crisis drives acute shortages in certain subjectsTue Nov 16 2021 - 00:00
I’ve no idea if my son will select the right CAO courseReading the CAO handbook carefully to identify relevant deadlines is crucialTue Nov 09 2021 - 00:00
My 17-year-old is refusing to return to school. What are our options?Ask Brian: Many young people are struggling due to anxiety and school closuresTue Nov 02 2021 - 00:00
College open days: Ten tips to help you prepareWhat you need to do to make a well-informed decision about your futureTue Oct 26 2021 - 11:09
Planning on attending an open day? Do your homework firstOpen days let you gauge how good a fit your course and college choice will beTue Oct 26 2021 - 02:00
I’m worried my son isn’t suited to his course. Must we pay fees if he drops out?Ask Brian: Most colleges have a late October date to withdraw without penaltiesFri Oct 22 2021 - 00:00
Will my son lose out in next year’s Leaving Cert due to return to ‘normal’ exams?Ask Brian: It seems likely next year’s grades will be lower than 2021’s record highsTue Oct 19 2021 - 00:00
Higher Options: Prepare in advance and use your time wiselyEvent has the potential to be the most valuable six hours you will spend this yearTue Oct 12 2021 - 01:00
‘My son still can’t make his mind up over what college course to choose’Ask Brian: Engaging directly with individual colleges is a good startTue Oct 12 2021 - 00:00
My daughter is overwhelmed with homework. What can we do?Ask Brian: Parents often complain children don’t get enough written workTue Oct 05 2021 - 00:00
‘My son is being bullied but won’t let me contact the school about it’Ask Brian: Parents are entitled to question schools about anti-bullying policiesTue Sept 28 2021 - 00:00
My son accepted a college course but is now unsure of it. What should he do?Ask Brian: I’m worried about the cost of fees and accommodation if he drops outTue Sept 21 2021 - 00:00
I’m in my 30s and want to go to college. What are my options?Ask Brian: Access to education is lifelong and there are lots of ways to re-engageTue Sept 14 2021 - 00:24
What are your options if you are disappointed with your CAO offer?There are alternatives to the traditional route to further your educationWed Sept 08 2021 - 01:00
Some students who achieved maximum points not offered preferred coursesGovernment signed off on system which left students with a 100 per cent score without a place on their first-choice programme.Wed Sept 08 2021 - 01:00
Barrier of 600 points breached: Five takeaways from CAO offersBrian Mooney: Maximum Leaving Cert points no longer secure that college placeTue Sept 07 2021 - 20:36
Evolving career routes boost options for school leaversFurther education programmes, apprenticeships and traineeships offer career progression and skills enhancement outside the traditional CAO systemTue Sept 07 2021 - 06:45
Your CAO offer and how to respond to itMoment of truth for thousands of applicants as first college offers are issuedTue Sept 07 2021 - 01:00
Should we expect Catholic schools to transmit faith?Ask Brian: The place to nurture faith is within the community, not in schoolsTue Sept 07 2021 - 00:00
Leaving Cert 2021: Grade inflation could lead to CAO points increaseAverage grades across all subjects and levels increased by 2.6 percentage pointsFri Sept 03 2021 - 07:02
Leaving Cert 2021: Five key take-aways from this year’s resultsStudents benefit from choice between exams and accredited grades but CAO points will riseFri Sept 03 2021 - 06:00
Leaving Cert: Now that you have your results, what happens next?The first step for many will be to convert your results into CAO pointsFri Sept 03 2021 - 01:00
Leaving Cert 2021: How the CAO determines points allocationsPoints requirements are determined by a combination of factorsFri Sept 03 2021 - 01:00
I’m worried I’ll lose my UK college place due to a surge in applicationsAsk Brian: Some over-subscribed universities are offering cash to students to deferTue Aug 31 2021 - 00:00
Nearly 5,000 CAO applicants to get college offers todayMature applicants and other categories of student to get offer ahead of September 7th Round OneThu Aug 05 2021 - 06:00
CAO course choices: Health sees largest cohort of first-choice applicantsFigures indicate an increase in applications from 77,813 in 2020 to 84,526 this yearTue Jul 13 2021 - 13:12
Extra medicine and pharmacy college places confirmed by departmentHarris plans to provide 4,500 additional third-level places as demand increasesFri Jul 09 2021 - 01:08
Leaving Cert points for some high-demand courses set to rise this yearImpact of deferred applications means places in top-points courses likely to be reducedWed Jul 07 2021 - 21:00
Leaving Cert survival guide for stressed students (and their parents)Take a deep breath: anxiety is only here for a short time and soon it will be goneTue Jun 08 2021 - 18:23
What will college life be like in the new academic year?Reopening our higher and further education institutions in a transformed online worldTue Jun 01 2021 - 07:27
My son wants to drop Leaving Cert exams and opt for accredited grades. Is this wise?Sitting exams maximises your grades potential and chances of securing your top courseTue Jun 01 2021 - 00:00
I want to apply for a postgrad abroad. How do I go about it?Ask Brian: Europass is a useful platform for working or studying on the ContinentTue May 25 2021 - 00:00
Pay rates in childcare are abysmal. Should I retrain as a primary teacher?Ask Brian: Increased investment in childcare sector is crucial to avoid exodus of staffTue May 18 2021 - 00:00
It’s time to decide on your college course choices for 2021Should you change your choice? Review your courses now and reap the rewards laterTue May 11 2021 - 11:15
Alternatives to the degree route for school leaversMany programmes are designed with local employers and are attuned to their needsTue May 11 2021 - 10:18
Thinking of changing your course selection?Now is the time to review your CAO course selection in order to get them right by the July 1st deadline.Tue May 11 2021 - 10:18
I’m worried CAO points will soar. Are there alternative options?Ask Brian: There are often alternative routes to study popular courses which require far fewer pointsTue May 11 2021 - 00:00
Will CAO points rise even higher this year?Ask Brian: 2021 may be the most competitive yet in the competition for third-level placesTue May 04 2021 - 00:00
How many written Leaving Cert exams should my daughter opt for in June?Students who sit written exams have greater control over their eventual resultsTue Apr 27 2021 - 00:00
Can my son apply for a grant even if he doesn’t have a college offer yet?Applicants don’t need results or offers – you just need to show your preferred courseTue Apr 20 2021 - 00:00
