Mature college applicants are becoming more numerous and more vociferous. The College Choice helpline has been buzzing as these students voice their concerns about application and selection procedures.
Colleges will become more dependent on these mature applicants in the future. However, many of these applicants are unhappy with the way in which they are treated by the colleges. Applicants outnumber places. Application procedures are cumbersome and students may have been turned down for a place but are unsure why. Whatever you think about the points system, at least you know why you did or did not get a place.
The main problem for colleges is ensuring that applicants will be able to cope with the course. A variety of methods are used from essays to tests to interviews to reviewing the application form. Many colleges simply state that they deal with applications on an individual basis. This is not particularly helpful for would-be students who are trying to maximise their chances of getting that coveted college place.
Mature students invest a lot of time and effort in preparing their applications and they want to be reassured that they are getting a fair deal.
Applying To College As A Mature Student
You are deemed mature by most colleges if you are at least 23 years of age on January 1st of the year of entry or re-entry to college. Mature applicants should turn to page eight of the CAO handbook which lists closing dates and application procedures.
Direct Application
A number of colleges require direct applications (closing dates are in brackets): All Hallows Colleges (open); American College (open); Colaiste Mhuire, Marino (April 2nd); Dublin City University (April 2nd); Froebel College of Education (April 2nd); LSB College (open); Mary Immaculate College of Education (April 1st); Milltown Institute (May 1st); National College of Art and Design (April 1st); National College of Industrial Relations (April 1st); St Patrick's College, Drumcondra (April 2nd); Portobello College (open); Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (May 1st) and University of Limerick (April 1st).
Applying By Two
St Catherine's College and Trinity College require mature applicants to apply directly to the college by February 1st and also to apply through the CAO with the same closing date.
Applications Through The CAO
Institutions not mentioned in either category above require students to apply through the CAO only.
All of this means that mature applicants must sit down and wrestle with a variety of closing dates. It has been argued that mature students target only one college or course. However, as the number of mature applicants now far outnumbers available places, applicants must consider a number of options. Surely it would be more sensible if the February 1st closing date applied to both mature students and school-leavers.
The CAO Form
Mature applicants must fill out all four pages of the CAO form (turn to pages three and four of the handbook). Pages one and two of the form are straightforward. Page one asks students for basic information while page two is where applicants list their course choices.
Mature applicants should tick box seven on page three. If you have achieved qualifications which are listed in any other boxes on this page, you should tick these boxes also.
Mature applicants are asked to write a short curriculum vitae on page four covering education, work experience, achievements, interests and motivation. If you ticked any other boxes, further details should also be given here. You may attach one additional page if you need more space. Remember the college admissions officer or faculty member is trying to satisfy him or herself as to your suitability for the course.
Prof Nollaig Mac Congail of the University of Galway notes that mature students fall into two groups - those who have matriculated and those who have not. The latter category is by far the largest, he says.
"It is very important for these people to spend as much time as possible selling themselves in the information they supply on the CAO form," he adds.
When going through the forms, he is looking for some indication that they are focused people, that they are informed as to what a degree is, and that their aspirations are realistic. UG uses the CAO forms as a screening procedure to select people for interview. The college usually calls three times as many applicants as there are places. Many of these will fail to turn up to interview, he adds. At interview, they get a flavour of the college and find out about the reality of full-time third-level education.
Prof Mac Congail says that going to college is a major upheaval, emotionally, economic ally, culturally and personally, for mature students. Students may begin courses and drop out for reasons other than the obvious academic ones. The college is in the process of appointing an officer to deal with mature students.
Back to the form. It's not enough simply to fill out all four pages including your opus on page four. You must send one photocopy of pages three and four for each institution to which you are applying. In addition, you must send certified photocopies of each qualification you mention on page three.
Reserved Places
The Department of Education has just issued the fifth edition of the information guide for mature students who wish to enter full-time third-level courses in 1998. This is an indispensable booklet which lists all of the colleges and details the proportion of places that have been set aside for mature students in 1998. It also gives information on the selection procedures that are used in each college.
For instance, DCU reserves 5 to 10 per cent of places in all faculties for mature students. The selection procedure involves an interview and, possibly, an aptitude test. The faculties of arts, philosophy, Celtic studies and science in NUI Maynooth set aside 10 per cent of places for mature applicants. The college requires a curriculum vitae and two references.
In UCC, each faculty differs, with about 80 places set aside on the BA programme, 40 on the Bachelor of Social Science and three each on the BA (music) and BMusic. There are assessment tests and, for the music degrees, a special entrance test. In UCD, the situation also varies by faculty, with no engineering places reserved for mature applicants, but there are 14 social science places set aside.
Again, in the University of Galway, each faculty has its own policy at present, but the college's strategic plan sets a target quota of 10 per cent in all faculties (similar to the college's arts faculty quota at present, where 70 of the 700 places are reserved for mature students.)
In TCD, about 10 per cent of places are set aside for mature students in arts, BESS, engineering and systems science, health sciences, science and arts (two subject moderatorship). In UL, places are awarded on merit in all faculties with no quotas.
Mature students interested in arts degrees should not forget St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, where 20 per cent of places are reserved for mature students, and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, where 20 to 25 places on humanities courses are set aside for mature students.
Quotas in Regional Technical Colleges and Institutes of Technology:
No fixed quota: Athlone RTC, Carlow RTC, Dundalk RTC, Dun Laoghaire RTC, Letter kenny RTC, Limerick RTC, Tralee RTC, WIT, DIT.
Cork RTC: Reserves up to five per cent of places for special category applicants, including mature students.
Galway and Tallaght RTC: up to 10 per cent of places are reserved. Sligo RTC: one place reserved per 20 students per course.
Copies of the guide are available, free of charge, from Fionnuala Scott, Curriculum Development Unit, Sundrive Road, Dublin 12. Tel: (01) 453 5487; email: hkvtos@iol.ie
Paramedical/Medical Courses
Continuing yesterday's health-care theme, College Choice will deal with physiotherapy, pharmacy, psychology, medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry next week.
Changes To The CAO Handbook
The CAO has just issued an update on courses which have been cancelled and new courses which are now available through the CAO.
Cancellation
PT401 Social Studies (in parish ministry) TL660 Engineering (food process).
Already cancelled (guidance counsellors were notified in November): SG106 Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. WD004 Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (replaced by WD079 below).
New Courses For Which Application May Be Made Through The CAO
CR116 Software Development and Computer Networking (a new degree already mentioned in College Choice). CW093 Business Studies. CW094 Computing (computer applications and commercial programming). CW095 Office Information Systems. CW048 Business Studies. CW049 Computing (computer applications and commercial programming). CW096 Office Information Systems. FT225 Physics and Physics Technology (degree).
Additions To The Handbook Notified To Guidance Counsellors In November
DN026 Economics and Finance (degree). GY407 Management Engineering with Language (degree). TR037 Information and Communications Technology (degree). WD076 Forestry. WD079 Administration (a new degree which replaces WD004). WD080 Business with German (degree).
The CAO also informs us that all students will be issued with a change-of-mind form. Students are advised in the handbook that they must apply for these forms - this direction is superseded by the new arrangement.
Additional reporting by Catherine Foley