Your education questions answered

I am applying, as a mature student, for UCD's sports management degree as my first choice, followed by sports science at DCU and physical education at UL as my final choice. Do you know how many mature students usually get accepted for these courses? What chances do I have of being accepted to these courses? If you have a statistic, or any idea I would be grateful.

The situation regarding mature entry to all courses is an evolving one. Until recently, most courses did not offer any places to anyone except those competing via the points system, of the CAO. This was because of our high birth rate.

Individual departments are rethinking this policy and are deciding to offer a number of places, each year, to mature applicants. The colleges have been given a target by the Government, of 15 per cent of mature places by 2006.

Having said all that, it is still a matter for each course director to determine the number of places to offer each year. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the calibre of mature applications received in any given year might determine the number of places offered.

Unlike the points system, there are no rules governing the allocation of places for mature applicants. As the number of places offered to them increases over the coming years, I would hope that the allocation of places for mature applicants becomes as transparent as the points system is for younger people.

If you wish to get a clearer picture of the chances of mature applicants being offered a place on any of the courses you outlined in your question, I would suggest you contact the course directors involved and ask them whether they are planning to reserve any places for mature applicants in the coming academic year.

I'm sitting my Leaving Certificate next June. I am interested in doing law, but I don't think I will get the points. I can choose arts as an option. Could you please tell me if I should put down law or arts as my first choice on the CAO form?

The first basic rule of the CAO application system is to apply for what you want, in the order that you want it. You may or may not get the points for law, but if that is your first preference, list all the law courses that you are interested in, in order of your preference.

Are you aware that there is a law with business degree offered by Griffith College, Dublin (GC402), which offered places to all applicant with more than 300 points in the last two years? The down side is that this is a fee-paying college. The cost was €3,900 in 2002/3, which qualified for tax relief at 20 per cent. Having listed all your law courses, you can then list your arts options.

Be careful not to list a fee-paying course on your CAO application unless you are in a position to pay the fees. You cannot be offered any place above that offered to you in round one. So if you cannot afford to accept a fee- paying course offered to you by the CAO, you could end up with nothing, as you may not be offered anything else.

Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. You can e-mail him your questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie