With so much to consider when applying for a college course, it can feel quite overwhelming completing a CAO form. Even more so when the deadline for creating an account is foremost on your mind.
Which, while we’re here, if applying to an institution via the CAO route, it is ideal to create an account before 5pm today, as you can avail of the discounted application fee of €35.
So, what should you think about when choosing a third-level college?
Should you simply jot down the course you want to do, or should you think about location, living costs, resources, services and campus culture?
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Lenka Forrest, head of student recruitment at University College Cork, suggests students consider the basic assumptions about colleges and the courses they offer. “Consider the college’s location and whether you prefer to live at home or move to a different city,” she says.
“Check the college’s facilities, libraries, technologies, labs and sports amenities. Good resources can boost your learning experience.”
She also recommends looking at colleges that offer comprehensive student support services, including academic skills support, disability support, students’ union, mental health resources and career counselling. And furthermore, consider the campus environment.
“Explore clubs, societies and other extracurricular activities that speak to your interests,” she says while recommending exploring student testimonials on courses’ web pages and to attend online or in-person events such as open days where you can speak to current students.
Overall, Forrest highlights the importance of choosing a course that will be right for you. “Explore all the modules that are taught in each year of the course that you are interested in,” she says. “Understand the difference between core modules and elective modules to see how much flexibility the course has so you can shape what you will be studying for the next three to four years.”
Additionally, she recommends assessing the course reputation, its availability and quality, which means looking for colleges that offer strong programmes in your area of interest. This also implies checking out your potential lecturers and tutors and reviewing their expertise as experts in their field.
There are a number of areas students forget to consider during the whirlwind and potential overwhelm of options when completing the CAO.
Judith Caffrey, undergraduate admissions communications officer at Maynooth University, reminds students to double-check the minimum entry requirements for courses. “Every year the admissions team field calls from applicants querying why they didn’t receive an offer,” she says.
“Some applicants forget to check the minimum entry requirements for their chosen course and may find that they are not eligible for an offer despite achieving the necessary points due to missing one or more minimum subject requirements.”
She also recommends putting courses in order of genuine preference. “Applicants should fill in the course they most want in the number-one slot, their second preference in the number-two slot and so on all the way to choice 10. Remember, if the applicant is eligible for an offer for their first choice on their list of up to 10 level-eight courses (and/or 10 level six/seven courses), they will receive an offer for that first choice and all other courses at a lower preference will be deleted. It is not possible to receive an offer for a course lower down in your list of preferences.”
Furthermore, Caffrey encourages students to remember that points can go up as well as down. “Often the applicant finds their results can be vastly different from what they expected,” she says. “High-points courses are thus typically available because they have a smaller number of places. Applicants should consider courses they are genuinely interested in, regardless of points. They’ll be happier in the long run, and everyone does better at something they’re interested in.
“For example, in MU our BA MH101 degree has 1700+ places. Every year, approximately one in five of our entrance scholars (having achieved 575+ points in their Leaving Certificate) choose MH101 as their first-preference course. Remember that the points advertised reflect the score of the final CAO applicant who accepted a place on the programme. The median points score for entrants is typically significantly higher.”
One such student at MU is MH101 bachelor of arts student Caoimhe Halpin, an entrance scholar, who achieved more than 600 points in her Leaving Certificate. Entrance scholarships are automatically awarded to incoming first-year students who have obtained 575 points or more in the Leaving Certificate. Almost one in five entrance scholars choose the MH101 BA bachelor of arts degree each year – the last person who was offered a place on this degree in 2025 had 300 points.
“I chose MH101 due to the wide range of options that this fantastic degree has to offer,” says Halpin. “I loved that BA students have the opportunity to study up to four subjects in first year and so I chose international development, geography, nua-Ghaeilge and sociology.
“I chose to study the Maynooth arts degree because of the wide range of options that it provides. I was unsure of what career path to take or degree to choose, and I recognised that studying arts at Maynooth University would provide me with the greatest range of career and postgraduate options. A number of my fellow entrance scholars chose MH101 for similar reasons.”
Angela Burke, a qualified career coach, blends practical business insight with evidence-based coaching to support individuals throughout their career life-cycle, encouraging them to take ownership of their careers to achieve lasting satisfaction and wellbeing.
She suggests that students should look beyond the prospectus and consider what daily life in the college is really like. From class sizes, teaching styles and access to academic or wellbeing supports, to accommodation availability, commuting options and the true cost of living in that area.
“The increasing number of college courses provides a great selection for second-level students to choose from, but with that choice comes confusion,” says Burke. “The labour market is also changing. New jobs are being created every day, which can be difficult to keep up with. It’s important to look past the course title and understand what will actually be studied, how students are assessed, the overall workload and whether all of this actually plays to the student’s strengths and preferred way of learning.”
Burke’s top tip is to find out where graduates have gone on to work, which can help identify which employers value particular courses and whether those employers are aligned with your future career path.
Students should also think beyond their course choices towards career options. “While it is, of course, important that the student chooses a course they are genuinely interested in,” she says, “I strongly advise parents and students to also think beyond the college course as ultimately one typically furthers their education to become more employable after. We need to remind ourselves that a course is a pathway to employment.
“Students should research typical graduate outcomes, links with industry, work placement opportunities and how adaptable the qualification is if their interests change over time. I help parents and students consider salaries, lifestyle preferences, stress tolerance and what a typical working day would look like beyond course completion.”
College is not for everyone and, luckily, it’s not the only route to success.
What options do students have outside of college? “Decide what’s best for you,” says Forrest. “Would a course in further education, university or a university of technology suit you and your goals? Make sure you also know about the new tertiary degrees, as many new courses are being developed, eg social work and occupational therapy. Apprenticeships in different disciplines may also appeal to you. Each type has its own core strengths. As each type has its own application process, ensure you know that and don’t miss an application deadline.”
“I fully believe in the power of experience, through life and work,” says Burke. “While third-level education continues to be a popular choice for many, other routes for consideration are apprenticeships, PLCs, internships or taking time out to work or travel before committing to a degree. We no longer live in a world where you have to choose one career for life.
“Let’s not put that pressure on ourselves and, instead, adjust the focus to choosing the first step of many twists and turns to come in a long, hopefully enjoyable and fulfilling career.”
