Some 70 per cent of students who applied to the Central Applications Office (CAO) for third-level places will hear today if they have been succesful.
More than 51,000 applicants will receive the offers today, but an estimated 14,000 are expected to be disappointed.
Although some students will have to wait for the postman, others could check their offers on the CAO website from 6 a.m.
This year's CAO figures show that students are continuing to shun courses in the information tchnology sector, opting instead for what are seen as less risky options such as teaching and commerce.
The health-care sector and construction studies are also in demand, reflecting the need for social service workers and the continuing property boom.
At UCD it is now much easier to get into science rather than arts courses. On average arts courses can require more than 100 more points than those in science.
The CAO figures this year show that points for most courses have remained relatively stable.
However, points for prestige courses such as medicine, dentistry and law continue to rise.