Over 25,000 students are set to change their Central Applications Office (CAO) applications before the July 1st deadline, according to the latest estimates.
In excess of 5,000 students have already completed the process but a final rush is expected over the next week. The vast majority of change-of-mind applications are made on line at www.cao.ie
The process allows students to change their initial CAO application - completed last January - in light of their performance in the Leaving Cert exams.
Last year, some 28,000 students used the mechanism, just slightly less than 50 per cent of the total applying for college places. Overall, the number of CAO applications from school leavers is up 4 per cent this year.
Commenting on the closing date John McGinnity, admissions officer and assistant registrar in NUI Maynooth said: "Ideally, students should get their change of mind forms into the CAO well before the closing date of July 1st as this allows them to see the changes and reflect and change again, if needs be . . . obviously the pressure and build-up to the exams often means this doesn't happen, however."
He continued: "If students are submitting their change of mind applications to the CAO online, we recommend that they check the next day to make sure it has been recorded, so at a very minimum students should give themselves at least three days of a safety net before the deadline. Remember to list courses in genuine order of preference rather than on the basis of your predictions about course points levels."
Recent figures from the office show an increase of over 20 per cent in students who nominated NUI Maynooth as their first choice for third level.
The university saw high percentage increases in first, second and third preferences for a range of their existing and new honours degree programmes.
DCU also saw a significant increase in CAO applications this year.
Yesterday, NUI Galway also highlighted a range of new programmes in engineering and science.
These include a new physics with medical physics programme. The course is a response to the considerable demand for qualified medical physicists in Ireland, and will combine essential core physics modules with medical physics, chemistry, mathematical science, biology and anatomy.
A new project and construction-management degree at NUI Galway will equip students with knowledge and an understanding of project management, particularly in the construction sector. It is being offered as a four-year programme.
