The Central Applications Office (CAO) will release its second round of offers tomorrow morning to students still awaiting a place in higher education.

Round one offers were snapped up very quickly this year, with about 75 per cent of level 8 offers taken up by the close of the round on Monday evening.

The CAO released its final round one figures yesterday, which showed that of the 44,219 students who received a level 8 honours degree offer, total net acceptances finished at 33,066.

The second-round offers don’t generate the drama of the first round, in which students learn whether the points they achieved in the Leaving Certificate were enough to secure them a first-preference option at the college of their choice.

The number of offers is also much lower, with about 2,000 students expecting a letter in the post tomorrow from the CAO, compared to more than 40,000 for round one.

Nevertheless, many students will be delighted if the points requirement for a given course has fallen sufficiently to enable them enter a course they particularly wanted. This happens if an institution offered more places than were filled in round one.

In this circumstance the student – who may have selected a second, third or even fourth choice – may receive a higher preference offer. The vast majority of the letters sent by the CAO tomorrow morning will carry this welcome news.

Students must accept their offers by 5.15pm on Wednesday, September 4th.

Back to school
Tomorrow also sees the reopening of most primary schools. Among them will be six new schools, including three Educate Together schools and three Gaelscoileanna.

Educate Together expects to have more than 16,000 pupils in its national schools this year, making it the second-largest provider of primary education here after the Catholic Church.