There are charts, on pages 12 and 17, which detail last year's cut-off points for all of the courses - certificate, diploma and degrees - within the CAO applications system. Each year, points vary and it's difficult to predict changes in advance. However, certain courses, such as medicine, veterinary, physiotherapy and actuarial studies, remain perennially popular so last year's points are a rough guide to the relative degree of difficulty in securing a place. This year's first round points will be published in The Irish Times next Monday.
As well as points requirements, many courses have specific subject requirements. Students worried about these requirements should turn to the Master Charter of Essential Subjects on pages 10 and 19. This comprehensive guide to subject requirements has been compiled by The Irish Times and is not available in this form elsewhere. You must fulfil these subject requirements to secure a place on your desired course so, while you don't yet know the points needed for this year, you can at least reassure yourself that you are eligible to secure a place.
Students who are disappointed in their results and who are considering repeating the Leaving Cert should read page nine which contains advice from guidance counsellors and a list of repeat colleges which are still accepting applications.
It's been a long summer for the 65,000 students who sat the Leaving Cert in June. But, at last the long wait is over and, today, they get their results. Of course, it's an anxious time for students, parents and teachers. While these results signal the end of 13 or 14 years spent in school, they also herald the beginning of a new phase of life. And change, even welcome change, brings its own stresses.
Students who filled out college application forms last January are wondering if they made the right decisions and if they will get the points required for the various courses. Others are looking towards Post Leaving Certificate colleges or wondering if they should repeat their Leaving Cert. Other career avenues also beckon - nursing, the defence forces, Teagasc, CERT . . .
This supplement is designed to help students and parents through the next few weeks when difficult decisions must be made. It complements our daily Points Race column which will keep students and parents up to date on points requirements, course vacancies, Post Leaving Certificate and repeat opportunities. So, keep your copy of Going to College for the next few weeks as it provides lists of courses and colleges, together with useful addresses and telephone numbers.
There are charts, on pages 12 and 17, which detail last year's cut-off points for all of the courses - certificate, diploma and degrees - within the CAO applications system. Each year, points vary and it's difficult to predict changes in advance. However, certain courses, such as medicine, veterinary, physiotherapy and actuarial studies, remain perennially popular so last year's points are a rough guide to the relative degree of difficulty in securing a place. This year's first round points will be published in The Irish Times next Monday.
As well as points requirements, many courses have specific subject requirements. Students worried about these requirements should turn to the Master Charter of Essential Subjects on pages 10 and 19. This comprehensive guide to subject requirements has been compiled by The Irish Times and is not available in this form elsewhere. You must fulfil these subject requirements to secure a place on your desired course so, while you don't yet know the points needed for this year, you can at least reassure yourself that you are eligible to secure a place.
Students who are disappointed in their results and who are considering repeating the Leaving Cert should read page nine which contains advice from guidance counsellors and a list of repeat colleges which are still accepting applications.
Each year, several thousand students continue their studies in private third-level colleges in the Republic. With the much-publicised closure earlier this year of Advanced Technology College in Dublin, parents are naturally worried about the stability of private colleges. What sort of guarantees are in place for students if the college does close?
Many of the colleges offer very good courses with valid qualifications from professional bodies, British universities and the National Council for Educational Awards. However some offer qualifications of a more dubious nature. So, how do you choose? Page 11 contains a full list of NCEA-validated courses offered in private third-level colleges as well as dealing with the bonding question.
There are about 10,000 Irish students on under-graduate courses in third-level colleges in Britain and Northern Ireland. The recently published report on third-level education in Britain recommends the introduction of annual tuition fees of £1,000 per student, on a meanstested basis. If the recommendations of the Dearing report are accepted, Irish students, who previously enjoyed free undergraduate third-level education in Britain, will have to pay fees of up to £1,000 per year.
This supplement also offers advice and information for students interested in courses in third-level colleges in Britain and Northern Ireland. A full list of British colleges and the relevant education boards is included, together with telephone numbers and addresses.
At home, the vibrant Post Leaving Certificate sector provides an alternative to traditional third-level education for about 17,000 students. The range of courses on offer is extensive and expanding each year. Going to College includes a comprehensive list of PLC courses and colleges. There is no central applications system for these colleges so this list should prove useful.
The COST of going to college is a major consideration for many students and their parents. The supplement has details of the cost of college life as well as a chart showing the eligibility limits for maintenance grants.
Whatever surprises, disappointments or joys the next few weeks bring we hope this supplement will help students and parents negotiate their way through the college-acceptance season.
