An mazing 7,119 offers have been made to CAO applicants in the second round this year. This compares with 3,077 second round offers last year. The new offers, which should arrive in students' homes today, comprise 1,889 degree places and 5,230 certificate/diploma places. This follows a significant drop in the number of students accepting certificate/diploma courses in the first round of offers.

In all, 1,388 students will receive an offer today for the first time. The remainder of the offers are going to students who had already received an offer in round one and who are now being offered a course that is higher up in their list of preferences. This is, of course, good news for applicants who were waiting in hope for the past week.

Changes in degree points

At degree level, there was a fall of at least 10 points in 41 courses. Of the full-time day courses, the sharpest fall in cut-off points was in ancient history in TCD which fell by 40 points. This was closely followed by language and cultural studies (German) in UCC and polymer engineering in Athlone RTC which fell by 35 points. Biblical theology and Russian in TCD and hotel and catering management in Galway RTC fell by 30 points. But there were very few changes in the very high-points courses. Of the 21 degrees registering 525 or higher in round one, medicine in TCD fell by 15 points, physiotherapy in TCD and history and politics in TCD fell by 10 points. Four courses - physiotherapy in UCD, law/German in TCD, radiography in UCD and human genetics in TCD - fell by five points. The dreaded random selection asterix disappeared from four degrees including actuarial and financial studies in UCD, which came topped the round one points list at 600*. The change to 600 means that everyone with 600 points has now been offered a place. There was no change in the points levels for the remaining nine courses at or above 525 points.

Students hoping to be offered places in medicine in round two will have been pleased at the drop in points in TCD, bringing the cut-off to 555*. In UCC, all of those waiting for medicine with 545 points were offered a place as the random selection queue was cleared. But, there was no change in the points levels in UCD, UCG and the Royal College of Surgeons.

Those waiting on random selection for veterinary medicine at UCD were also welcomed into the fold, with a cut-off of 575 points. And, still with genius- level medical/paramedical courses, the points required for physiotherapy in UCD fell by five to 560*. In TCD, there was also a fall from 540 in the first round to 530*.

Each year, clinical speech in TCD and PE teaching in UL are offered in round two as there are additional entrance assessments as well as the Leaving Certificate. The cut-off points for clinical speech was 490# while PE teaching came in at 500*#.

Changes in certificate/diploma points

At certificate/diploma level, there were 74 courses where points dropped by at least 20 points or more. Of these, 29 fell by 40 points or more. The most spectacular drops were in Tralee RTC's applied chemistry course where points fell by 95 and in Cork RTC's nautical science course which fell by 85.

In Dun Laoghaire RTC (formerly Dun Laoghaire of Art and Design) communications design C dropped by 75 points. The cut-off points for three courses - office information systems with a language in Dundalk RTC, applied chemistry in Galway RTC and commercial photography in Dun Laoghaire RTC - fell by 70 points.

There are eight certificate/diploma courses - seven in Carlow RTC and one in Waterford Institute of Technology - offered for the first time in round two.

Vacant Places

The CAO has issued an updated list of courses with vacant places. There are five new additions to this, bringing the total number of courses on the vacant places list to 39.

Places on the 34 courses which advertised vacant places during round one are now being snapped up in round two - in many cases by people with high points - according to the CAO, so apply immediately if you are interested.

The following courses have vacancies (new courses are marked N):

Cork RTC: CR116 Software development and computer networking; CR121 Music (N)

Carlow RTC: CW067 Process instrumentation and control; CW099 Accounting and management studies; CW048 Business (Kilkenny); CW049 Computing (Kilkenny); CW096 Office information systems (Kilkenny); CW093 Business (Wexford); CW094 Computing (Wexford); CW095 Office information systems (Wexford).

UCD: DN022 Arts(modular); DN023 Arts (single subject).

Letterkenny RTC: LY002 Institute of accounting technicians; LY005 Coras eolais oifige; LY007 Business studies/ langauges and European studies; LY008 Civil engineering; LY009 Construction studies; LY010 Electronics; LY011 Mechanical engineering; LY014 Applied chemistry; LY015 Design, graphics; LY016 Design, industrial design; LY039 Electronics and computer engineering.

Sligo RTC: SG103 Languages and marketing (German); SG104 Languages and marketing (Spanish); SG106 Chartered accountancy (N); SG132 European business (German); SG133 European business (Spanish); SG303 Mechanical engineering; SG305 Electronic engineering; SG431 Analytical chemistry.

Dundalk RTC: DK001 Electronics (product development); DK010 Manufacturing engineering.

Athlone RTC: AL030 Polymer engineering

WIT: WD002 Chartered accountancy

Tralee RTC: TL410 Aquaculture; TL440 Applied chemistry (N); TL460 Science (photonics) (N); TL670 Mechanical engineering (N).

How to apply: Applications are invited from applicants who have already applied through the CAO (whether they have been offered or accepted another offer) as well as from people who have not previously applied. If you have already applied, write immediately to the CAO indicating that you are interested in a particular course or courses. Quote your CAO number, the course code and order of preference if you are applying for more than one course. No application fee is required.

If you have not already applied to the CAO, write to CAO, Tower House, Elginton Street, Galway, to request an application form. Return it to the CAO with an application fee of £18. You must be at least 20 years of age on October 15th this year to apply for the two arts courses in UCD. As they are part-time courses, they are not eligible for the free fees initiative.

Applicants for WD002 in WIT must have a contract of employment.

Reading the points chart

If no points are shown in the round two column it means that no offers were made. If the points are the same as in round one only a few offers were made. In some cases only one offer may have been made to take account of errors in round one which were not the applicants' responsibility.

Two degrees - PE teaching in UL (LM090) and clinical speech in TCD (TR007) - are offered for the first time in round two.

There are a number of certificate/diploma courses which are also offered for the first time in round two: CW048, CW049, CW093, CW095, CW096, CW097, CW099 and WD002.

No offers were made in CW094 (national certificate in computing, Wexford campus)in round two. The college will review the situation in round three.