The last post is being sounded for CAO applicants. You must relinquish the form into the tender care of An Post tomorrow if you want to meet the February 1st deadline.
Remember, you must obtain "proof-of-posting" from the post office. There is a certificate of posting at the back of the CAO handbook which the post office must stamp. The CAO has also put a checklist on the back of the envelope. This will help you make sure you have filled out everything correctly.
Students who live in Galway or who are willing to travel there can hold on to their CAO forms until Sunday and drop them through the postbox in Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway. However, a spokesman for the CAO warns that any forms which are dropped through the postbox on Monday will be treated as late applications (you will be charged the £36 fee and cannot list any restricted-application courses).
The final closing date for applying to the CAO is May 1st. The fee is double the standard fee and you may not list any restricted-application courses - these are courses with additional early assessment procedures, such as a portfolio assessment or a music test. They are listed on Page 10 of the CAO handbook.
Once you have applied to the CAO, you may change your mind about your choice of courses as often as you like until July 1st. There is no charge for this service and the only proviso is that you may not introduce any new restricted-application courses. The CAO informs us that applicants who applied before the February 1st deadline will automatically be issued with a change-of-mind form in May. Students are advised in the CAO handbook that they must apply for forms - this direction is superseded by the new arrangement.
Additions And Deletions To The CAO Handbook
Students usually treat the CAO handbook as the bible when it comes to college applications. But there have been a number of changes since the handbook was printed, with some courses cancelled and other courses introduced.
Four courses are no longer on offer, so don't waste one of your choices on the following: PT401 social studies (in parish ministry); SG106 Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland; TL660 engineering (food process); WD004 Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (replaced by WD079).
New to the CAO are: CR116 software development and computer networking; 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; DN026 economics and finance; FT225 physics and physics technology; GY407 management engineering with language; TR037 information and communications technology; WD076 forestry; WD079 administration (replaces WD004); WD080 business with German.
All of this makes it even more difficult for students to deal with college applications. And there may be further courses cancelled or courses added before the final closing date. Would it not be more sensible to stay with what is listed in the handbook and not to introduce any changes until the following year?
Leisure Management At DIT Upgraded
DIT's leisure management diploma has now been upgraded to a pass degree. This course is listed as a diploma in the CAO handbook (DT404) and the code remains the same. Students who have already applied do not need to make any change in their application. A spokesperson for the CAO says the course will be treated as a diploma for the purposes of the application form and the allocation of places. Students should, therefore, apply for this course under the cert/diploma list.
In addition to the new status, the course content has been updated and improved, according to Mr Daire Mac Guill, course leader.
The course emphasises the management side of the business rather than being purely sportoriented. Core modules include management studies, communications and customer care, marketing, financial management, business policy, computer applications and human resource management. Students are facilitated in obtaining qualifications in areas such as first aid and fitness instruction.
There is a four-month supervised professional placement between second and third year. DIT is also designing a one-year add-on degree to honours level. Mr Mac Guill may be contacted at (01) 402 4363.
Direct-Entry Courses At Athlone RTC
Athlone RTC is offering three full-time undergraduate courses outside the CAO system: national diploma in engineering (mechatronics); B.Sc in polymer technology; B.Sc in computer and software engineering. You must apply directly to the college admissions office for these courses.
Nursing And Student Status
Mr Malcolm Byrne, education officer with the Union of Students of Ireland, contacted College Choice to express concerns about nursing students and their funding. Students doing the new college-associated nurse training are paid a non-means tested grant of £2,500 per annum. At first glance this seems quite generous. However, Mr Byrne pointed out that these students have only 20 days holiday a year so they cannot use holiday work as a means of supplementing their finances.
The interim report of the Commission on Nursing notes that concerns were expressed that student nurses were not seen as real university/college students. "They are not located on the university campus and this fact, together with the amount of time they spend receiving instruction, militates against their interaction with other students." The report further notes that the grant given to students was seen as insufficient, particularly when students were on clinical placement.
Meanwhile, the battle about free fees for the one-year, add-on degree in nursing continues. The add-on degree, which follows the three-year nursing diploma, is the only full-time undergraduate course in the Republic which is not covered by the free fees initiative.
NCVA Level Two And DIT
NCVA level two students applying to the regional technical colleges are assessed solely on the basis of their performance at post-Leaving Cert level. However, the DIT takes a different approach and requires students to have met the minimum Leaving Cert standard for the particular course. This means that students who subsequently do well at PLC level may be penalised on the basis of their Leaving Cert results. This would seem to go against the spirit of the PLC links scheme.
Art And Design Applications
Students applying for art and design courses get a particularly raw deal as they have to worry about dates for portfolio assessments and drawing projects as well as the CAO form. Each year, parents and students ask why there isn't a central portfolio assessment centre. That would mean that hundreds of students could bring their portfolio to one location and a small number of college staff would have to do the travelling.
A Levels And College Places
A number of callers to the College Choice helpline asked about equating A level results and points. Unlike Leaving Cert results, there is no standard equation. Different college apply different rules.
The following is the situation as far as College Choice can determine:
TCD, DIT, Church of Ireland College of Education, Mater Dei, Colaiste Mhuire: 190 points for an A; 160 points for a B; 130 points for a C; 100 points for a D.
DCU, Portobello, St Patrick's, Drumcondra: 175 points for an A; 160 points for a B; 130 points for a C; and 100 points for a D.
RTCs, WIT, American College, All Hallows: 170 points for an A; 140 for a B; 100 for a C; and 70 for a D.
UCG, CIT, UCC deal with applications on an individual basis.
UCD does not use a points scheme. Each faculty specifies minimum grades. For instance, three A grades for medicine.
NUI Maynooth deals with each application on an individual basis (minimum three grade Cs).
It is possible that, with the introduction of fees in Britain and Northern Ireland, there may be more applicants to colleges in the Republic. So the question of a standardised formula for A level results may become more germane in the next few years.
Back To Commonentry:
Many students do not realise the range of options offered by common-entry programmes, such as science, arts, engineering or business. For instance, DIT Kevin Street's applied science degree programme includes options in physics, chemistry, maths, computer science, software engineering, food science and food technology. So turn to the college prospectuses to check the subjects offered before you make your final decision.
End Of Helpline
This is the final column in the this year's College Choice series. The guidance counsellors who answered all of those queries on the helpline over the past few weeks also end this service today. So any further queries should be put in writing to Q&A in Education and Living, the Tuesday supplement which contains a weekly careers section.
Additional reporting by Catherine Foley
Helpline
Students, parents and teachers with queries about colleges, courses and application procedures are invited to call the College Choice helpline between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. today. Tel: (01) 679 2350.