You have an offer: What to do next

So it's congratulations: you're one of the lucky ones. The post has arrived and you're holding one if not two offers of a third-level place.

What happens next?

Your offer notice will only show the course code, so you must consult the CAO hand book to check the full title of the course.

More than one offer?

If you filled out both the certificate/diploma and the degree lists on your application form, you may receive an offer from both lists. Of course, you can only accept one of your two offers and you have until 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30th (the CAO reply date for first-round offers) to make up your mind. If the offers were not your first choice, remember you can accept a place without affecting your chances of receiving a higher-preference offer in later rounds.

I have just been offered my first choice

That's wonderful. All your hard work has paid off and you can begin the course of your choice.

Unfortunately, each year, the College Places helpline receives a number of phone calls from very tearful students who have suddenly realised that they don't want to be a biochemist and would rather be a doctor after all. They now have the points for medicine but had listed science at the top of their degree list.

There is no change-of-mind facility at this stage. If you are offered your first preference you will not be made any further offers from that list. (The degree and certificate/ diploma lists operate independently.)

Effectively, the computer wipes out all choices below the one you were offered, so when it comes to first preferences, your choices are to accept the offer or to reject it and re-apply next year.

The basic CAO rule is that you can always move up the list but you can never move down. As with most rules, there is one possible exception. If there are vacant places advertised on a course you are interested in, you may apply for these, regardless of where the course stood in your order of preference.

What about doing the same course in a different college?

You have been offered arts in NUI Galway but now decide you would like to stay at home in Cork and study arts in UCC. Sorry, but it's not possible to arrange a transfer or swap at this stage. You must stick with your list of courses in the order in which you sent it to the CAO. If students could negotiate private swaps between themselves or with colleges, it would cause chaos.

How do I accept an offer?

You have until 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30th, to accept the offer. If you do not accept your offer by this date, the place will be offered to someone else. The CAO asks that you do not accept an offer unless you intend to avail of it.

For the following colleges you will have to pay a £30 acceptance fee: DIT, UCC, DCU, TCD, UCD, NUI Galway, UL, NUI Maynooth and the Pontifical University, Maynooth. There are subsequent payments as outlined on your offer acceptance payment schedule.

There may be two offers on your offer notice. You may only accept one. If you wish to accept an offer, you must return either part C(1) or part C(2) of the offer notice. Do not return both parts. If you do, the CAO will record an acceptance only for the degree course. The certificate/ diploma offer will lapse.

How do I reject an offer?

Easy, don't do anything. If you don't accept an offer by the reply date, you are deemed to have rejected it.

Contacting the CAO

Central Applications Office, Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway. Telephone: 091 509800. Web page: www.cao.ie