I missed out on my first-choice course – business, economics and social studies in Trinity – by 23 points in last Wednesday’s round of CAO offers. I have been offered another business degree programme in Dublin, but really want to study Bess in Trinity. What are the chances points will drop in later rounds?
The chances of a high-demand course such as Bess at Trinity dropping in points by this margin is remote, based on trends over previous years.
This means you have until 3pm on Tuesday, September 2nd, to accept the lower preference offer you received last Wednesday. After that, the offer lapses.
If you are appealing grades in this year’s Leaving Cert, remember, there is usually a one-in-four or one-in-five chance of getting an upgrade, based on previous trends.
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If your mind is really set on securing a place in Bess at Trinity and you don’t accept your lower preference offer today, you have a number of options:
1. Repeat the Leaving Cert, hoping to secure higher scores next year. This route, once popular, has diminished in numbers in recent years.
2. Apply for a place in one of the business or law programmes offered by further education colleges in the next few days. You can access a list of all such level-five PLC (post-Leaving Cert) programmes online (Qualifax.ie).
These programmes are usually assessed through a series of eight modules or assignments which students submit monthly from October-May.
Further education (FE) or PLC courses as a route into university are probably one of the best-kept secrets of the education system. Many students – and parents – still don’t know enough about them, even though they offer an excellent route to third level, outside the pressure cooker CAO points system.
In fact, there are more than 1,000 CAO courses across all areas which admit PLC students.
In your case, I am aware of FE students who, having completed their level-five business or law programme, secured an offer of a place in Bess at Trinity. But in every case that I am aware of, the applicant secured distinctions across all eight modules in their course.
This is a very useful pathway for students who need a year to prepare themselves for the challenges of university life.
In PLC courses, students tend to have the time and space to develop more independent learning skills, learn to work in teams and deliver projects on time and to a high standard.
So, if your heart really is set on Bess, why not seek a place on a locally based business PLC programme immediately. Blackrock Further Education College, for example, offers separate level-five programmes in both business and law.
In the unlikely event you receive enough upgrades in the Leaving Cert, or the points requirements drop significantly in the coming weeks, you will receive a late offer from the CAO, which you could then accept.
