An Post is determined to make me eat my words. After waxing lyrical about all the safeguards it had put in place to ensure the CAO offers reached all applicants yesterday, the helpline has been jammed with calls from distraught mothers in Dublin 16.
One starving mum rang at 2.50 p.m. to say there was no sign of an offer yet. She had hoped to take her son for a celebration lunch and was still waiting. Her son had sufficient points to secure the place he wanted, but they wouldn't believe it until they had the offer in writing. She had spent the morning on the phone to sorting offices and finally found out that the postman had phoned in sick at 6.50 a.m.
A spokeswoman for An Post apologised for the delay and said a number of people in that district were on sick leave. All offers would be delivered yesterday without fail, she said. There were also problems reported with late deliveries in some areas of Tipperary but those appear to have been sorted out. Our distraught Dublin 16 mother rang back later in the afternoon to say her son finally received his offer at 3.58 p.m. Meanwhile, yesterday's bank holiday in the North meant there were no postal deliveries there. So the helpline was humming with students who had done A levels, and wanted to check their chances of an offer.
Deferrals
The Points Race helpline has received a number of queries from students who wish to defer their college place for a year. Not all institutions grant deferred entry, or they may exclude certain courses.
For instance, TCD will consider deferrals for all courses. The college admissions office would hope for a quota of less than 10 per cent, but there has never been any problem, according to the admissions officer. UL will also consider requests for deferrals for all courses and there is no quota. Cork RTC's official line is that deferrals will be granted for medical reasons only but, in practice, the college is a usually a little more flexible. Letterkenny RTC has a "liberal attitude to deferrals", while DIT will consider deferrals for all courses, but would cap the number if too many students applied. In this case, DIT would award deferrals on a first-come first-served basis. So get your deferral request in early.
The procedure is outlined in the CAO handbook. If there is a deferred entry option for the course you have been offered you should NOT accept the offer or make any payment. Write immediately to the admissions office of the college (mark the envelope deferred entry), stating the reason why you wish to defer. Attach part C of the offer notice to your letter and make sure it is posted in time to reach the admissions office at least two days before the reply day on your offer notice. The college, not the CAO, will let you know whether your deferral request is granted.
Apply now
In an unusual twist to the college offers season, students can still apply for a number of courses.
Still available
TCD: will take late applications for the new BA(Mod) in information and communications technology. But there is a small waiting list from those who applied before the official closing date of August 1st. Offers were posted on Friday to coincide with the CAO offers and the cut-off for this round was 415 points. Many applicants will have got an offer from the CAO and an offer from TCD yesterday morning. If you are in this lucky position, remember you can only accept one offer.
Carlow RTC: is offering two new courses - there are 30 places in a national diploma in accounting and management studies (course code CW099), and 35 places in a national diploma in process instrumentation and control (CW097). The places are being offered through the CAO vacant places procedure. If you have already applied to the CAO this year you should write immediately to the CAO, indicating your interest in the course. You must quote your CAO number and the course code, but no application fee is required. If you have not already applied to the CAO, immediately request an application form and return it to the CAO with the £18 fee. Offers for these courses will be made in round two.
There are also vacant places on all of the courses at the college's Kilkenny and Wexford campuses.
Carlow RTC will hold an information afternoon for prospective students on Friday, September 5th, from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. This will cover everything from course outlines to ESF grants to accommodation and college life. It might also be useful for doing some pre-college socialisation as you will meet fellow first-years. Athlone RTC: has three new courses on offer. Applications for the B.Sc in computing and software engineering and the national diploma in mechatronics will be accepted until September 1st. You should apply directly to the college. Every effort will be made to have the offers coincide with round two of the CAO offers. And for those who don't know mechatronics, it is defined by Athlone RTC as the "synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics and intelligent computer control". In plain English, this is a cross between mechanical and electronic engineering.
The closing date for the new national diploma in computing was last Friday and offers will be sent out today to coincide as closely as possible with the CAO offers.
Letterkenny RTC: The new course, a national certificate in Electronics and Computer Engineering (LY039), was included in the late CAO list but was not in the original handbook. There are still some vacant places. Applications should be made through the CAO vacant places procedure (as outlined above for Carlow RTC). The cut-off in round one was a very accessible 125 points. There are 30 places available on the course.
Sligo RTC: is "very likely to have vacant places in the national certificate in mechanical engineering and electronic engineering and its national diploma in analytical chemistry", according to the college admissions officer. Both these courses made offers in round one to all qualified applicants. Points Race will keep you updated. Meanwhile, it might do no harm to talk to the college directly.
Cork RTC: is offering a new four-year degree in software development and computer networking. You should apply through the CAO vacant places procedure. There are 20 places on offer and the closing date has been left open. The college reports an overwhelming response already so it would be wise to get that application in as soon as possible.
UCG: Offers for the new degree in electronic and computer engineering went out on Friday to coincide with the CAO offers. The cut-off was 445 points. There are about 25 places on this course.
Additional reporting by Catherine Foley