For most students playing the college offers waiting game yesterday was a good day, but for some opening their CAO envelope there was disappointment, writes Olivia Kelly.
Although almost 72 per cent of Leaving Cert students received an offer from the CAO yesterday, the prize of a first choice eluded many.
Only 45 per cent of degree offers were first-preference choices. Those are now out of the CAO game, but for the rest there are still choices to be made: wait and see what offers are thrown up by CAO round two, repeat the Leaving Cert or stick with a lower preference choice from round one.
Claire O'Brien, from Ballincollig, Co Cork, was one of the 73 per cent of students who got one of their top three degree offers. Unfortunately, it was not her first preference. "I had put down commerce in UCC at number one, but I ended up being offered my second choice of business studies in UL," she said.
The UCC commerce degree has long been a popular choice among business-oriented students and this year the points stand at 450 in the first round. "I kind of knew when I got my Leaving Cert results that I wouldn't get UCC. I had 20 points less than the course was last year and I didn't think it would come down," she said.
In the event, UCC commerce did fall by five points this year, leaving Claire just 15 points short. However, she doesn't think it's worth holding out for the next round. "Fifteen points would be too big a drop to expect. It's such a popular course that I'd say it will fill on the first round."
She is not too disappointed, however. She would always have been happy to accept her second choice and had even put a deposit on on-campus accommodation in Limerick earlier this year.
"I'm very happy with business in Limerick, but it did take me a week to get used to it, as it means I'll have to away from home. I know I'm horribly organised, but I thought it was better to put my name down for an on-campus place rather than just praying and hoping for my first offer."
Claire's only reservation now is that all her friends are staying in Cork and she knows no one in Limerick. However, she really wants to do the course. "I had put arts in UCC down third, just to cover myself, but business is what I really wanted to do, so if I have to go away to do it, that's fine."
Irish Times exam diarist Patrick O'Brien, who attended Stratford College in Dublin, missed his first choice of arts in UCD. He did get an offer of business studies in the Dublin Business School, from the diploma/cert list, but he won't be taking it. In fact, he has decided to abandon the CAO altogether.
"I'm going to apply for a PLC (Post Leaving Cert) course in journalism in Ballyfermot College. Applications don't go in until January, so I'm going to take a year out and work," he said.
Patrick realised during his final term that he had not done enough work to secure his first choice. He expected that arts would go down this year, but in fact it increased by five points to 375 and he found himself 100 points short.
"I decided before the summer that if it wasn't going to be arts in UCD, I'd go for the Ballyfermot course. I was chatting to my guidance counsellor who said Ballyfermot do a link with the DIT, so it might be possible to eventually go on to the DIT journalism course."
Although Patrick admits that he did not put in enough work this year, he would not consider repeating. "I couldn't stand another year. I still don't think I'd study enough."
Another student hoping to get arts in UCD, who asked not to be named, was very disappointed to find an increase in points for most arts courses. "I missed UCD by 40 points but thought I might get arts in Maynooth. But at this stage they're all just a bridge too far."