More than 60,000 Leaving Certificate students will tomorrow receive the results of the exams they sat in June. The college admissions officers will begin juggling results and places and the Central Applications Of fice will post out the first round of offers next Monday.
August is traditionally the month for college offers while January is the usual application time. However, each year there are a limited number of opportunities to put in college applications in August and September.
New courses may be given late sanction by the Department of Education and Science and applications may be requested directly by the colleges rather than through the Central Applications Office (CAO).
An understandable wariness on the part of students when it comes to new courses means these courses can often represent "good value" points-wise. College Places has identified courses in five colleges for which you may still apply (details below).
Vacant places will arise on some courses once the first round of offers is made. Some will have had insufficient applicants with the minimum educational requirements and these places will be available early next week. Others will offer places which will be turned down.
These will be offered again in round two or, if there are insufficient applicants in the system, any vacant places will be advertised. Many Post Leaving colleges will also be recruiting. Students need to be alert and keep an eye on the situation. As vacancies arise they will be flagged in this column.
If you're willing to travel, colleges in Britain and Northern Ireland will have vacancies. Last year, more than 60,000 places were offered through the University and Colleges Admissions Service clearing process, which helps people without a college place to find a suitable vacancy.
Direct-entry courses:
These courses may have specific subject and grade requirements. You should check with the appropriate admissions office before you apply.
Athlone IT has a new three-year full-time national diploma in humanities in languages and business administration which provides training in French and German as well as computing and business. Students will take one of the languages at beginners' level and the other at post-Leaving Cert level. They will expected to be equally competent in both languages on completion of the course.
Apply directly to the Admissions Office, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, tel (0902) 24489/24541. The Admissions Office advises immediate application as it is hoped that offers will be made at the same time as the CAO's first round of offers.
Cork IT has five new courses for which you can apply up until August 30th. The bachelor of engineering in structural engineering is a four-year degree. If you are wondering, structural engineering is defined by the college as "the art and science of designing civil engineering facilities so that they can safely resist the forces to which they may be subjected". You will need a C3 in higher-level maths in the Leaving Cert.
The new four-year BSc in computerised instrument systems has two core themes - measurement and control in manufacturing and information and communications technology. The four-year BA in multimedia will equip graduates to come to grips with a world requiring the "seamless integration of image, sound and test, distributed over any medium such as the World Wide Web, CD-ROM and DVD".
The approach is inter-departmental involving the computing, business, social studies and engineering schools, the Crawford College of Art and Design and the Cork School of Music.
The new BSc in software development with French includes a six-month industrial placement in France. A new two-year national certificate in biomedical engineering is also on offer. The college will have a one-year add-on diploma for certificate graduates who meet the criteria.
Biomedical engineering ranges from the design and development of new equipment for medical diagnosis and treatment to the implanting of artificial organs in the body.
For all of the above, you should apply to the college admissions office, CIT, Bishops town, Cork, tel 021 4326221/255.
Galway Mayo IT is introducing a three-year national diploma in hospitality information management. The hospitality area has been suffering from declining interest while information technology's star remains in the ascendant. The flexibility of career prospects available through this combination-type course may prove attractive to students. Apply to the college admissions office at 091 735161 before Friday, September 1st.
Tralee IT is offering a four-year bachelor of business studies (electronic business) which includes a 30-week work placement. Technically literate graduates are expected to find work in areas such as customer relationship management, project management, database systems development, Internet marketing and market planning.
You need to get your application in fast, as the closing date is tomorrow.
Griffith College has a new law with business degree. Two-thirds of the time will be allocated to law modules with the remaining one-third devoted to business. Griffith is a private third-level college so students must pay tuition fees.
Special maths exam: Students applying for most ab-initio engineering degree courses require a minimum of a C3 in higher-level maths. However, in two colleges - NUI Galway and Athlone IT - there is a fall-back exam available for certain courses. Success in this exam will be accepted as an alternative to the Leaving Cert requirement. These special maths exams may not be used for points purposes.
NUI Galway: The exam will be held on August 18th. Completed applications must be with the admissions office by 5 p.m. tomorrow. £5 application fee.
Athlone IT: Applicants for the college's polymer engineering degree who do not achieve the required higher-level C3 in maths should apply immediately to the college admissions office. The exam is usually held in September.
College 2000 supplement: In tomorrow's The Irish Times there will be a special supplement, College 2000, which will include the statistical breakdown of Leaving Cert results as well as advice and information for college applicants.
Helpline: guidance counsellors will be available to answer your phone queries from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. Tel 1 850 747424 (calls charged at a local rate from anywhere in the State).