Brian Mooney answers your key questions about what to do next
My points are incorrect
Remember you can only use the results of your best six grades. Are you counting more than six subjects? Foundation Level Irish and Maths are not generally awarded points.
Why am I ineligible for a place even though I have more points than the minimum entry points published?
Entry to every course is determined by three factors: first, the college entry requirement; second, the course entry requirement and, finally, the point's score of the candidate.
How do I apply for deferral?
Individual colleges and not the CAO deal with requests for deferrals. If you wish to defer a place offered to you next Monday you must immediately write to the college setting out your reason for seeking such a deferment.
Mark 'deferred entry' clearly on the envelope. You must attach to the letter the appropriate part of the offer notice, ie, that which shows the offer you wish to have deferred. The request must arrive in the college in question by Friday 25th August.
The college will let you know of its decision immediately. Most colleges offer deferrals when requested to do so by a student (see page 5 of the CAO Handbook for exceptions).
In the case where they refuse a request, the student still has the option of accepting the place in the current year.
Will I disqualify myself from other offers if I accept/refuse this one?
No, a student is entitled to be offered any place that may become available, higher up their order of preference on either of their two lists. Whether they have accepted a place in another course or not is irrelevant, they will be offered the place anyway. If they choose to accept the new offer, they will simply have any charges they paid to the first college, transferred to the second one.
Can I be offered a place in a course I have not applied for but now want?
Only if vacancies are advertised in those course(s) on the CAO website at cao.ie. This will occur if the original list of qualified applicants to the CAO is exhausted, or if a new course has been added to those on offer since the close of the applications process. Please check that you are eligible for this course before you place your Vacant Place course in your list of courses choices.
Can the CAO give me information on whether I am entitled to a grant?
Grants are not dealt with through the CAO and it is one of the inefficiencies of the Irish third-level system that there is no central applications system for grants.
Grant applications are available from local authorities or your local VEC depending on the course being applied for. The forms are so detailed, that the majority of them are unfortunately, incorrectly completed, and have to be returned to the applicant, which can consequently, take months to process. I will be writing an article on grants, in my column over the coming week.
Can you tell me about accommodation and/or course content?
The college in question will deal with any information regarding the content of the course being offered, or accommodation on or near the campus.
The website qualifax.ie carries the entire content of every course in the CAO system, as well as the PLC sector. If you are offered a course next Monday, that you have not researched properly, do so thoroughly before accepting the place. Qualifax also contains an accommodation module, where colleges have provided the information.
Do I have to pay a fee when returning my acceptance to CAO?
No payment is required when returning the acceptance for a place. Accounts for tuition fees, and so on, will be sent separately by the college.
All enquiries about such fees should be directed to the Fees Office of the institution offering the place - not to CAO.
Students will have to pay the registration charge, when registering in the college they have accepted a place in.
I do not wish to accept the offer which I have been made.
'You need take no further action. Your name will remain on the waiting list for any course(s) higher in your order of preference, than the one not required.
What are my chances of a further offer?
This is impossible to predict. You should consider the current offer as the last one which you will receive.
About 10 per cent of places are re-offered in round two. Beyond that, small numbers of places become available after that in later offers.
How do I get a Leaving Certificate grade rechecked?
Refer to to the article on page 2 of this supplement on the subject of grade rechecking.
What happens if a Leaving Certificate result is re-graded on appeal?
The State Examinations Commission will notify CAO automatically and you will be contacted about any new entitlement to a course. In most cases, this happens up to a month to six weeks after college courses start. Some students choose to take up the place immediately.
Many more students accept the place as a deferred entry place for next year, and then will do something else for the remainder of the year.
The most important point for deferred entry students to remember is that they have to apply to the CAO again by February 1st 2007, placing the deferred course as the only course on your application form, if they wish to take up their deferred place.