So many choices, so little time. That is the position most students now face as they study their CAO offers.
Many of them received two offers - one from the degree list and one from the diploma/ certificate list - and they have to weigh them up carefully. They are also faced with other possibilities - repeating the exam, entering the workforce or trying a post-Leaving Cert course.
Another group of students will have received an offer, but not one from the top of the students' list. Should they take it?
The crucial thing to remember is if you take that offer it does not prevent you from getting another one in round two. Remember the saying often repeated in this column, "you can go up but you cannot go down".
In other words, you can be offered a course further up your list but not further down your list.
Some people suggest you "bank" the first offer and see what happens in the second round. But you do not have to. If you refuse all offers you can still be offered a place in the second round. But if there is nothing in the "bank" after the first round, this is a risky strategy.
Second round
The degree to which points will fall between now and the final round is hard to say. Last year many courses fell, with even medicine taking a small drop in some universities.
Overall the fall between rounds tends to be small, usually five to 10 points. If you are 30 or 40 points out, maybe you should start pursuing other options.
Nursing is slightly different. Most observers believe that nursing courses will come down considerably in the second round.
This is because many of those who have been offered a nursing place have also received two other offers, so the number of people rejecting a nursing offer should be very high.
The second round of options is due on September 4th and CAO requires your reply by September 10th.
Deferral
The 75 per cent of you who did get an offer yesterday have another choice to make. Do you want to take the place this year or defer it?
If you intend to defer and subject yourself to the famous "gap year" you need to move fast.
Do not contact the CAO. Write to the college offering you the place and set out the reasons for your request.
Attach the appropriate part of the offer notice. The college needs to receive this letter by next Monday morning.
If the college does not accept your request you can still take up the place. However, most colleges are happy to oblige and 5-10 per cent of places are understood to be deferred each year.
Next year those who have deferred must reapply through the CAO, placing only the deferred course on the list.
Such candidates will not be governed by next year's points, but by this year's when they received their place.
However, if you decide after the year that you want to do another course, it will be treated as a fresh application and you will be subject to points.
PS: Some parents and students contacted us yesterday with complaints that despite getting the required points to do drama at Trinity College, places were not offered to them.
A spokeswoman told The Irish Times that an "administrative error" had caused this and those students would get an offer today.
Vacant places
Already colleges have begun advertising their vacant places for this year. These are courses where the college does not expect to fill its quota of places through the existing stock of applicants.
If you have not applied for any course this year you can apply to the CAO for one of these courses. It will cost you £20. If you have applied but were not offered a place, you can take a place on one of these by writing to the CAO and quoting the course and your CAO number.
Even though these places are vacant, the colleges still require you to meet their minimum entry requirements. So check with the college to see if you have these.
Vacant degrees and certificate/diploma courses are available at the following colleges:
American College, Dublin:
International Business (AC120)
Behavioural Science - Psychology (AC141) Behavioural Science - Sociology (AC142)
Institute of Technology, Carlow:
International Business with French (CW 100)
International Business with German (CW101)
Dublin Business School:
Business Studies (DB512)
Accountancy and Finance (DB521)
Marketing (DB531)
Anthropology (DB551)
Arts - Literature and Drama. (DB552)
Arts - General (DB561)
Arts - Psychology (DB562)
Griffith College, Dublin:
Accounting and Finance (GC401)
Portobello College, Dublin:
Business Studies (PB253)
Trinity College Dublin:
Biblical and Theological Studies (TR008)
Germanic Languages (TR026)
Information and Communications Technology (TR037)
Computational Chemistry/ Computational Physics (TR074)
University College, Dublin:
Arts - evening modular course (DN022)
The vacant diploma/certificate courses are available at:
Athlone Institute of Tech- nology:
Business Studies - Cavan (AL002)
Office Information Systems, Cavan (AL004)
Office Information Systems, Greendale (AL005)
Front Office Administration (AL007)
Hotel and Catering Supervision (AL008)
Plastics Engineering (AL009)
Mechanical Engineering (AL010)
Electronic Engineering (AL012)
Mineral Engineering (AL014)
Professional Accounting (AL019)
Accounting Technician IATI (AL023)
Mechatronics (AL024)
Equine Studies (AL025)
Accounting Technician ACCA (AL029)
Institute of Technology, Carlow:
Mechanical Engineering (CW005)
Electronic Engineering (CW006)
Construction Studies (CW008)
Applied Biology/Applied Chemistry (CW022)
Electronics and Computer Engineering (CW024) Electronics and Communications Systems (CW025)
Business Studies - Wexford (CW093)
Computing - Wexford (CW094)
Office Information Systems - Wexford (CW095)
American College, Dublin:
Humanities (AC100)
Dublin Business School:
Business Studies (DB513)
Business Studies - Accounting (DB522)
Business Studies - Marketing (DB533)
Business Studies - Computer Applications (DB542)
Cultural Studies (DB563)
Griffith College, Dublin:
Legal Studies (GC415)
Business Studies (GC416)
Computing (GC440)
Interior Architecture (GC490)
Tipperary Institute
Business Studies - Small and Medium Enterprises (TN001) Sustainable Rural Development (TN002)
Computing - Software Development (TN003)
Business Studies - Small and Medium Enterprises (TN101)
Computing - Software Development (TN103)
Computing - Communications and Multimedia (TN104)