As the second-round and CAO reply deadlines approach, many students are starting to fret. Will I take that offer or not? The longer you leave the decision the harder it gets to make a choice. Even those certain of what they want are nervous.
Many students have sent their offer notice back to the CAO but have not received an acknowledgment, even after three days.
But a CAO spokesman says there is no need to worry. The CAO will send an acknowledgment within three days after the reply date, which is 5.15 p.m. this Wednesday. So students should receive something later this week or on Monday.
Acknowledgments are sent out more quickly to online applicants, says the spokesman, because paper applications are more awkward and have to be sorted.
Almost 12,000 students have accepted their places online since the offers were released, some from as far away as China. This figure is expected to rise significantly before Wednesday.
That 5.15 p.m. deadline is as final for online applicants as for those using the postal system.
Vacant Places
Many students have been tempted by the list of vacant places published here over the last week. The list is longer than last year's, and some very good courses are on offer.
For example, those disappointed at not getting an engineering degree place might consider a certificate or diploma course in the discipline. Dundalk Institute of Technology, for instance, is offering places on several engineering courses.
A lot of students are interested in taking a vacant place but are unsure how to apply. Others are worried they will not be made any more offers if they apply for a vacant place.
The best way to apply for a vacant place is to contact the CAO (by phone, letter or online) and ask for a special form which allows you to apply. It sets out your current course choices and asks you to put in the vacant places.
The key thing to remember is: put any vacant places you want above your current offer in your order of preference. If you insert them below you will not be offered one.
The other thing to remember is that putting vacant places on your list will not prevent you from being offered choices further up your list as usual. Like all offers in the CAO, accepting one offer does not rule you out of others.
The CAO expects to offer the vacant places on the second round on Tuesday, September 4th.
Nursing
The waiting game continues for mature nursing applicants. Readers of this column will recall that an administrative error meant 200 candidates at the bottom of the general nursing list were offered places rather than the 200 at the top.
The top and bottom 200 applicants were subsequently offered places, but now attention has turned to a group of between 100 and 200 in the middle.
Many of them are angry that candidates below them on the list of merit got offers. An Bord Altranais, the Nursing Board, and the nursing training schools are trying to come up with a solution.
But indications last night were that nothing would happen until the second-round offers were issued. Most of this middle group are expected to get offers. But will they get the exact places they want?
UCAS
There are still some vacancies in the British UCAS (Universities and College Admissions Service). The London Independent publishes them, and there should be a list in today's edition.
You can apply for these places even if you did not enter the UCAS system earlier in the year. To enter what is known as the "clearing" system, you need to get a clearing entry form (CEF) from UCAS.
Once you have filled this out and returned it to UCAS you can contact British colleges directly to see if there is a place available. Place offers are at their discretion. According to the British Council: "It is unlikely that students will obtain places in high-demand courses such as veterinary or medicine, but if a student is flexible and has reasonable qualifications then there is a very good chance of obtaining a suitable place."
The one drawback is you have to pay tuition fees at most British colleges, although there are none for most Scottish courses.