COLLEGE CHOICE: The vast majority of courses in this area are closed from February 1st, writes Emmet Oliver, Education Correspondent.
The CAO process is gathering momentum. Almost 9,000 applicants have already applied online to www.cao.ie. The CAO expects this figure to greatly increase next week. It estimates that almost 90 per cent of applicants apply during the final week.
A spokesman for the CAO yesterday pointed out that mature students are allowed to apply online. Some mature students mistakenly thought they had to do everything via the post. "It is cheaper, safer and faster to apply online," said the spokesman.
This year the closing date of February 1st falls on a Saturday. The CAO said yesterday its office would be closed on Saturday. However, the CAO said on Saturday, applications could still be put through the letterbox so that when staff open on Monday morning they will accept those applications as having arrived on time.
However, the CAO will not accept application forms from people who hand-deliver them on Monday. The online system will close down automatically at 5.15 p.m. on February 1st. Some people, meanwhile, are having problems getting through to the CAO on the phone. This is because thousands are trying at the same time. The lines are constantly busy and will be until February 1st. They are taking as many calls as possible, but they do not have enough staff to handle all of them as once. Some callers can take up a lot of time with complicated questions and the time must be devoted to giving them the correct answers; they cannot be rushed. The CAO advises that if people cannot get through on the phone, they should write to the CAO or e-mail to help@cao.ie.
Art and Design
With time ticking towards that February 1st deadline, some students need to fret more than others. Those interested in art and design courses are probably the most concerned at this time of the year.
The vast majority of courses in this area are closed off from February 1st. There is no change-of -mind facility and no going back. These courses are known as "restricted application" courses - in other words you cannot be considered for them unless you apply on or before February 1st.
This time of the year is hectic for art and design students. According to CAO figures, the numbers chasing art and design places is relatively small, about 1,000 at most.
One of the most popular colleges, the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), says about 700 applicants apply for a place on its first-year course each year. So the numbers involved are small compared to areas like arts, business or science, but the number of places is also small unfortunately. That is the problem. While some colleges use points plus portfolio, for example the art and design course at Crawford College (CR 201), others such as the NCAD first-year course does not use points and this course is not even part of the CAO system.
Most colleges impose minimum entry requirements. For example, Crawford requires at least five passes (in ordinary or higher level), while DIT requires you to present six Leaving Cert subjects and this must include two C3s or better in higher-level papers.
But the key to getting into most of the good courses is your portfolio. You will need to submit this to several colleges, but unfortunately they have different deadlines. You need to check directly with the college for the different dates. The NCAD deadline for the first-year course (including for mature students) is January 31st.
The portfolio is all-important for this course and others. Mr Frank Bissette, who heads up the first-year course at NCAD, explains that too many students become too preoccupied with the packaging of their portfolio.
"There is tendency among some students to over-present their work, when what we're really looking for is signs that they are visually curious."
He says the subject matter doesn't matter, what matters is how the subject matter is used by the student. He says students who only present work in only one area, say fine art for instance, will not get in; versatility is needed.
He says students who have researched their ideas and then developed them over several stages are the ones most likely to get places.
The standard is excellent, he acknowledges, and teachers are heavily involved in advising and helping their pupils. He says NCAD is prepared to assist students who do not obtain a place. He says NCAD is happy to tell them what areas they need to do more work on. If your portfolio manages to catch their eye, studying at art college, whether it be Dún Laoghaire, DIT, NCAD, Ballyfermot, or Crawford, is usually very enjoyable. Most colleges specialise heavily from the start though, so you need to know what area you like.
The visual arts sector is one of the fastest growing in the Republic, with jobs available across a range of areas, including: advertising, craft, design, graphics, ceramics, television, sculpture and animation.
Industrial Design
This is one of the most interesting and evolving areas in art and design. However, with so few Irish firms designing their products in this country, graduates may have to move abroad, at least initially, to get a well-paid job.
Few colleges offer courses in this area, but the University of Limerick (UL), NCAD, Sligo IT and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (which has a heavy presence in furniture design and production) have some options. UL offer a highly regarded degree course in Industrial Design (LM 072), which is an interdisciplinary course with NCAD in Dublin. The first year of the course is spent in UL and the next three in NCAD.
With the IDA pushing the Republic's economy further up the value chain, courses which place a heavy emphasis on product design -are likely to do well. Responding to this demand is UL's new degree course in product design and technology (LM 076).
According to Prof Michael Hillery, dean of UL's engineering school, it has been set up based on experiences gained by visiting industries and design establishments in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Britain.
It is aimed at students with an interest in technology, visual communication and art. About 25 places are available this year, although because it is a new course no one knows what points will be required for entry.