It is time to make up your mind. The CAO needs to know by Wednesday at 5.15 p.m. whether you are accepting your first round offer(s) or not.
This deadline, like others in the CAO, is absolute. "To deviate from the deadline would be unfair to those candidates who make sure they have everything done by then," a CAO spokesman said yesterday.
Each year parents and students travel from all over to CAO headquarters in Galway to make the deadline. Many of them miss it.
The CAO says there is no need for this. Simply send the form on time or try the online option at www.cao.ie
Some applicants have already put themselves outside the system.
For example, many students back in February failed to tell the CAO they were sitting the Leaving Cert this year. When their statement of choices was returned and this was pointed out, still many failed to rectify the issue.
These applicants are ineligible because the CAO needs to know what Leaving Cert results (could be last year's, for example) a candidate is presenting.
If you did not get an offer for this or a similar reason in round one, the best thing to do is to amend your CAO application and send it to the colleges asking for an offer in round two.
It is then up to the colleges whether they instruct CAO to make you an offer or not. Of course, you need to meet the cut-off points and any entry requirements.
Online applications
The online option removes the paperwork from accepting. Thousands have already done this. The key point is to get a printout of the receipt at the end.
One student contacted us and said he used the online option but forgot to print the receipt.
This is not a big problem. Simply go back into the CAO site and choose the "view" option and see if your acceptance has been logged. If it has not, you can start the process again.
The CAO sends out acknowledgements to paper and online applicants, so if you accept today you should get an acknowledgement by Wednesday.
If you are trying the online option make sure nobody else is accepting your offer by paper.
Because so many students are abroad this year many of them are using the online option, often from cybercafes in Spain or Portugal. However, if their parents do not know of their activities, they may apply through the post on behalf of their children. Remember, the CAO accepts the most recent offer it receives.
For example, if a student accepts a degree offer today, and two days later their parents send an acceptance for a diploma, the diploma will be the course you have accepted. So make sure all family members are acting in unison.
Engineering
This year the high points for engineering upset a lot of students. However, the Institution of Engineers of Ireland has welcomed the increase in demand for places. It also says there are other routes into the profession.
Students can undertake a post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course in an engineering-related field, such as electronics, information and communications technology, mechanical engineering or automobile technology.
These are usually one-year, full-time courses and provide students with a good idea of what the discipline is like. It can also be a stepping stone to a certificate/diploma course the following year.
Alternatively, students can opt directly for a certificate/diploma course in one of the ITs, where a wide variety of courses is available.
Mr Paddy Purcell, director general, said: "A certificate in engineering usually lasts two years full-time, after which a student may pursue a further year of study to obtain a diploma in engineering.
"These certificate and diploma programmes will allow students to practise as qualified technicians and associate engineers.
"Following this, students may, if they wish, transfer into a relevant engineering degree programme in a university/institute of technology and are usually exempt from the first year of the degree course in question."
Those looking for a place on the Bachelor of Engineering (Electronic Engineering) at Cork IT should note the following.
There will be a special entrance exam in maths for candidates who did not get the required C3 or more at higher level in this year's exam.
It takes place on September 14th and will be closely modelled on Leaving Cert maths papers. Candidates must achieve a C3 or better. For further information please contact the admissions office at Cork IT - 021 4326221.
Vacant Places
Colleges are still looking for students and here are more certificate/diploma courses looking for applicants:
Dundalk Institute of Technology:
Electronics - product development (DK001)
Electronics (DK002)
Business Studies (DK005)
Marketing (DK006)
Civil Engineering (DK008)
Construction Studies (DK009)
Manufacturing Engineering (DK010)
Mechanical Engineering (DK011)
Biology (DK012)
Food Science (DK050)
Chemistry (DK051)
Environmental Monitoring (DK053)
Cultural Studies - French (DK152)
Cultural Studies - German (DK252)
Computing - applications and support - French (DK154)