What are the key factors to be aware of when filling out a CAO application form?
Every year some students miss out on round-one offers due to errors, omissions or failure to spot an important message
Third Level
News and advice covering the third level education system.
Here’s a study guide for the final months before the Leaving Cert exams
We got expert tips from two of Ireland’s leading study websites and their learning experts
Forget the CAO: Here are some alternatives to college
Apprenticeships, traineeships and PLCs provide alternative routes to exciting, well-paid careers
College Choice: Essential reading for Leaving Certificate students
We hope there’s something for every Leaving Cert student (and parent!) in today’s College Choice guide in The Irish Times
Key dates for 2026 CAO applications: from early-bird applications to Leaving Cert appeals
Here is every important date in the CAO calendar along with important links, reminders and information about fees
What should you be thinking about when deciding on a third-level college?
Students should think beyond their course choices towards career options, experts advise
Six things you need to consider before making your third-level and further education choices
CAO applicants for 2026 will need to register before February 1st at 5pm
‘My daughter, along with most of her classmates, seem laser-focused on going to UCD or Trinity’
She could sit down with her guidance counsellor in school and explore how her interests and learning style align with the available options
FAFO parenting has taken over from the gently-gently approach
This new trend sounds remarkably like the parenting of the 1980s and 1990s, the kind we’ve mostly been trying to avoid
Griffith College seeks permission for multimillion-euro plan to double student numbers
Work would see four new campus buildings being built on its Dublin 8 campus
Feeder schools: How graduates of Irish second-level schools are progressing to third-level institutions
Pick up our supplement with The Irish Times today to find out everything you need to know
Feeder Schools 2025: What you need to know about latest data for Irish schools
Data is compiled from State Examinations Commission Leaving Cert sits list and lists provided by higher education institutions
Feeder Schools: Six take-aways from this year’s listings
Deis has improved progression prospects of students in disadvantaged areas but Ireland is still not an equal-opportunity society for children
Feeder Schools: How to make sense of school progression charts
14,000 of the 2025 Leaving Cert class decided that applying to the CAO was not right for them
Third-level progression rates: Why do some schools score more than 100%?
It seems mathematically impossible, but the percentage number accounts for several different elements
‘My son has no idea what he wants to do after college, so how real is the CAO cut-off point?’
The February 1st initial deadline is in many ways an administrative carryover from a bygone era
Artificial intelligence is here ... and it is already rewriting the rules of education
‘As educators, our job is not to shield students from AI, but to prepare them for the reality of the working world’
One-bed en suites for students ‘wasteful’, says Minister for Higher Education James Lawless
Minister ‘close to signing off’ on proposal to set rent increases every three years, rather than after end of tenancy, for student accommodation
Education matters: Places on medical and paramedical degrees in Ulster University
Ask Brian: There are places open to Republic of Ireland students, but applications must be submitted to UCAS by January 14th
What happens when a university closes its library?
Greece Letter: As physical books give way to ‘multipurpose spaces,’ students and academics fear the loss of the university’s intellectual heart
Students suspected of AI misuse to face in-person interviews under new recommendations
‘Oral verification’ encouraged as way to make sure work has been done by students themselves
Which CAO programmes must be listed due to portfolio, interview or performance criteria?
Ask Brian: All you need to know about the restricted application courses for 2026
This international student must share a bed with a classmate. He says he’s one of the ‘lucky’ ones
Piyush Rajendra Jain spends more than half his wages from his maximum 20 hours of work on rent
In the world of AI, a second-class business degree won’t be much use
Policymakers and businesses are falling over themselves to talk about AI, but their ideas belong in the Father Ted category
‘My son is considering a trade or apprenticeship option, but should he make a CAO application too?’
Ask Brian: Now is the peak season for conversations among sixth years about their next steps
Where CAO points are likely to settle in 2026
Ask Brian: Gradual reduction in grade enhancement begun this year will continue for the next four or five years
Education matters: ‘My son is overwhelmed by college and is considering dropping out’
Ask Brian: Combination of new environment and a course that does not fit can leave even the most capable young people adrift
Have your say: Are you a recent graduate thinking of emigrating?
Some say it is ‘easier to find work, a place to live and a decent lifestyle’ outside Ireland
Ireland’s graduates: ‘Everyone I know is thinking of moving abroad or has gone’
Many find it tough to find work in their desired sector upon leaving college - a harsh situation each year that doesn’t seem to improve
‘First of all, I don’t have summers off’: Teachers assess the reality of education in Ireland
Three teachers reflect on their experience of Ireland’s past and present and their hopes for the future
A national conversation about the future of Irish education is about to start. It could be magical
It must make space for voices that are too often left out, and children and young people must be at its heart
Nursing and midwifery offer careers for those with aptitude, curiosity and compassion
A degree in nursing or midwifery is a foundation for lifelong learning, with job opportunities across diverse settings
‘What funding support is available if I secure a place in university?’
Budget changes to Susi funding include an increase in income threshold for the €500 student contribution grant
‘Points don’t define potential – work ethic and passion do’
Rickwang Tientcheu says he drifted through the Covid years of second level before building up his own app for students, Edu Éire
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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