There are now 46,911 of you out there. You all hold offers of certificates or diplomas in third-level colleges. Some of you will also have received an offer of a degree place. And there is yet another group out there - more than 12,000 applicants who did not receive any offer. This latter group may yet get an offer of a college place in the second round of the CAO process.
Last year, the rush to reject certificate and diploma places was extraordinary. It seemed students had hardly opened their envelopes before they were muttering "a degree or nothing" and shredding their offer forms. More than 52,000 offers of certificate and diploma places were made by the end of the 1998 CAO offers season and only 16,000 students took up these offers.
If you are one of the CAO applicants who holds an offer of a certificate or diploma this year, take a little time before you reject it. Presumably, you researched this course and that is the reason it appeared on your CAO form.
There are many reasons why students reject certs and diplomas. There's the snob factor where students don't want to admit to their friends that they are going to an institute of technology rather than a university. If this course interests you, remember it is your life, not your friends'. And, who knows, next year you may have a new set of friends, some of them also students in an IT.
The main reason students seem to spurn certificates and diplomas is because they are just that - certificates and diplomas. They are not degrees, and here is where many students are simply missing the point. Lots of students who began with certificate and diploma courses are graduating from the institutes of technology with degrees.
There is a well-worn ladder which takes students from certificate to diploma to degree and onwards, if desired.
The number of add-on degrees available in the institutes of technology increases each year. This year, for the first time, the CAO handbook indicated the availability of these courses. So, when you filled out your CAO form, even if you hadn't read the college prospectus, the presence of +DP and +DG in the columns beside the course listing were a clue that further progression was possible (+DP means add-on diploma; +DG means add-on degree).
The usual structure is for students to do a two-year certificate, followed by a one-year diploma, followed by a two-year add-on degree. Or you may begin your studies with a three-year ab-initio diploma and then progress to a degree. Some add-on degrees are one rather than two years.
You must achieve certain grades in your exams, usually a merit or distinction, to progress up the "ladder of opportunity". Alternatively, if you passed your certificate, it may be possible to gain a year's relevant work experience and return to college later. This does not apply when going from diploma to degree.
Eligible students are entitled to free fees and maintenance grants as they progress towards a degree, whether this takes four or five years. There are now more than 100 add-on degree programmes available and the number increases each year. These span areas as diverse as applied chemistry, computer applications, fine arts, film/video studies, toxicology, business, heritage studies and construction management.
Random selection
A number of callers to the College Places helpline were bewildered by the asterix beside the cut-off points for a number of courses. This asterix, a highly unpopular symbol with college applicants, may have been all that stood between you and a college place on the course of your choice.
The asterix signals that random selection applied. Not all students with this level of points were offered a place. Places were allocated on the basis of a computerised lottery.
If there was an asterix beside the course of your choice, and you were not one of those lucky enough to get a place in the lottery, don't give up hope yet. You may get an offer in the second round. Many colleges make a big effort to clear the random selection.
Environmental engineering in NUI Galway
This year NUI Galway offered direct entry (outside the CAO) into environmental engineering. The college reports a very high level of interest, with a cutoff of 420.
Art at Sligo IT
The admissions officer at Sligo informs us that a communications error meant the first round cut-off for Sligo IT's diploma in art registered 240 rather than 300 (this includes a portfolio assessment as well as Leaving Cert points). The error does not affect any applicants as all qualified applicants were offered a place.
Vacant places update
If you didn't get an offer or if you're not happy with the offer you have, you should keep an eye out for colleges advertising vacant places.
The following colleges have notified College Places that they have places available through the CAO vacant places procedure. These places are open to you whether you have already applied to the CAO or not. If you have applied already, there is no further fee and no need to complete a further application document. Simply inform the CAO of the desired course(s) quoting the application number.
If you have not applied previously, you must contact the CAO for an application form (tel: 091 509800) and a fee of £18 applies. Remember you must fulfil the minimum educational requirements including any special subject requirements. Griffith College, American College, Portobello and LSB are fee-paying colleges.
Griffith College: CP400 BA in business studies; CP401 BA accounting and finance; CP415 national diploma in legal studies; CP490 national diploma in interior architecture; CP416 national certificate in business studies; CP440 national certificate in computing.
American College: CP142 BA in behavioural science (applied social studies); CP141 BA in behavioural science (psychology); CP120 BA in international business (management or marketing); CP130 BA in international tourism; CP110 BA in liberal arts (English or history or international relations); CP100 national certificate in humanities.
Carlow IT (Kilkenny campus): CW048 national certificate in business studies; CW096 national certificate in business studies (office information systems).
Carlow IT (Wexford campus): CW093 national certificate in business studies; CW095 national certificate in business studies (office information systems).
Portobello College: CP251 BA accounting and finance; CP252 BA business information management; CP253 BA business studies; CP254 BA marketing; CP255 BA human resource management; CP202 national cert in computing; CP203 national cert in business; CP204 national cert in business (accounting and financial services); CP205 National cert in business (computer applications); CP206 national cert in business (marketing).
LSB College: CP311 BA anthropology; CP321 BA arts (general); CP322 BA arts (psychology); CP342 BA business (marketing); CP343 BA business (psychology); CP361 BA tourism; CP320 cert in arts (cultural studies); CP340 National cert business studies; CP350 national cert computing/information technology; CP352 national cert office information systems.
LSB has an open evening today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Direct applications:
DIT: you have until the end of August to apply to DIT for a first-year place on two new degrees (computer science, computer engineering) and two certificate/diploma courses (technology [integrated maintenance] and manutronics [automation]).
You should apply directly to the DIT Admissions Office, Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin.
Repeat and PLC vacancies
Plunket College, Whitehall, Dublin, is currently taking enrolments for its repeat Leaving Cert course. There are also vacancies in the following Post-Leaving Cert courses: accounting technician, carpentry and joinery, computer and business studies, holistic health. For further details telephone (01) 837 1689
Reminder on script viewing:
The closing date for applications to view marked scripts is tomorrow. If you want to be re-united with any of your exam papers, get that application back to the school immediately.
UCD helpline:
One of the numbers for UCD was inadvertently transposed in yesterday's College Places supplement. Apologies. The correct numbers are: (01) 706 1375/1425/1426/1602.