The Rough Guide to TCD Applications for foreigners...

Our Frank

Hi all,

I'm planning on applying to TCD this coming year for either single honours English, or TSM English and a language. I'm semi-Irish, but have sadly been marooned in England for most of my childhood, hence this attempt at redressing the balance. So, as a simpleton foreigner, I have a few questions about what, to me at least, seems to be a horrendously complicated application system!

1) How is your application judged in relation to others - purely on a points basis? Therefore, is it only those with the highest tariff score that get offers?

2) Is English at TCD a hugely competitive course, and so unless you have about 10 million points, or 16 A-levels, is there no point applying?

3) Would I be allowed to combine Irish language with English as a TSM if I had no qualifications in Irish, but pledged to reach a high enough standard by the time I started?

4) What are the drama and student journalism scenes like at TCD?


Um, I think that's it for now. I'd be really grateful for any help or advice anyone has to offer.

Thanks in advance.

Caoimhe89

After applying to universities in England, I haven't a clue how you think that the CAO is more difficult to UCAS... but I guess it's all about what you know! I'll try and help answer a few of your questions.

1) Yep, courses are allocated purely on points from exams. It's thought to be fairer... but I don't know how much it works. Much more straightforeward for the Universities though - they just get told by CAO who is going to be attending their college. In the Irish system, you're a number, not a person!:D

2) English at TCD is pretty competitive, I guess. Points were 510 in 2007, I think (I haven't a clue what they're like now though...). To put that 510 into perspective for you, it'd be like getting 1A 2Bs in your A levels, and then 2Bs in your GCSEs(... unless you're doing the IB...). For more information you can go onto http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=scoring&s=gce

3) I have a feeling you need at least a C3 in Irish at Leaving Cert to do Irish in Trinity, but maybe that's my imagination! I'll check... yep, you need at least a C in the Leaving Cert or A levels in Irish to study Irish at TCD. There may be some exceptions to this rule or something though, so it would be worth asking about....

4) Haven't a clue! I'm only starting on the 29th!

Hope this helps a little....

Our Frank

Thanks very much for that info, very useful indeed.:)

OK, the CAO's not more difficult in terms of the amount of effort you have to put in, it just seems more confusing - though that could be because it's actually very simple, and I'm just refusing to take it at face value!

Regarding the points - that CAO link you provided gives a totally different scoring system than the TCD website - according to the CAO, an A at A-level is worth 170 points, but TCD say it's only worth 150...

Our Frank

Also, what's this about a matriculation exam in Biblical Studies and Geology...fer realz d00d!? :eek:

YogiBoy

*** It's very easy and quick for Europeans to apply for UNDERGRADUATE... so well worth doing, just on the outside chance you might have the points, or equivalent points. (If you are a graduate, wholly different procedures and fees apply).
Europeans (Irish and anyone else in the EU) should see www.cao.ie to apply. There is no personal statement or references. And for almost all subjects, there is no interview or additional exams (medicine and music are among the exceptions).

EU continentals and IB look here.
http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/requirements/matriculation/other/

A Level candidates look here
http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/requirements/matriculation/gcse/

Be very careful with the minimum matriculation requirements. You need passes (any grade will do) in maths, English and a language in some form (i.e. you must not be a one-trick wonder… you need a broad education).

http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/requirements/entrypoints/

http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/admissions_info/matric_requirements.php

Irish is not mandatory for TCD, not even for the Irish. There are however other language requirements.

The scoring system for A Levels etc at the CAO and TCD may differ… use TCD’s.
TCD sets two additional exams for school leavers that are not offered in the Leaving Cert (currently these are … Biblical Studies and Geology, if you happen to know anything about either!).


*** Apply to the CAO well in time, like January! The standard closing date is very early on. It's very easy to apply ... can do it in 5 minutes with no prior knowledge... just need a credit card to pay a modest application fee (or a pen to note down address to send a postal order), and you might want to take a few minutes to decide preferences. Dead simple. If you leave it much later, a higher fee applies or it may not be possible to apply at all... AT ALL! July is most likely too late! Not like UCAS, the system in the UK! The CAO is very strict.

EU citizens, with prior residency in Europe, in most circumstances do not pay fees. However most applicants from outside of the EU do:


Trinity's undergraduate registration fee for the coming year is almost €1000.
Plus the standard fee at TCD is 5000 euro for Europeans, but this is waived in most circumstances for EU residents//citizens
Be careful... you may be required to pay the full EUR 5000 fee in some circumstances, e.g. a change in your course of study in mid stream!
The Irish government now wants to reintroduce full fees for everyone (the EUR 5000 ones), setting them about the same level as in the UK. Fees are going higher in all countries. Just a question of time before they rise in Ireland too (with loans available for those that can’t pay fees).

http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/fees/


http://www.tcd.ie/Treasurers_Office/...degreefees.php


The fees for non EU citizens or non EU residents are likely to be mostly in the area of €15,500-27,000/yr for 2008/09 (B. Ed Home Economics is among the bargain courses, but then you may be getting your education from associate institutions like these… http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/Facts/assoc-inst.php).


4A's at A-Level are equivalent to six A1 grades in the Irish leaving cert, or the full 600 points.
Many applicants in the Rep Ireland take more than 6 subjects for the Leaving Cert, in order mainly to satisfy the min. matriculation requirements (Maths, English etc).
Needless to say, very few people actually achieve 6A1's, or anywhere near it. Indeed even 550 points is so rare that anyone with that level of points (or equivalent points) is given a modest scholarship as a reward, the Exhibition Scholarships (in 2007, around 500 entrants got this, all scoring 545 or above… that is 500 out of 15,000).

Lower down, the minimum points for straight maths might be e.g. 4to points- that’s around AAA at A-level plus a pass at AS level. That’s almost on par with Oxbridge requirements! [IMG]file:///I:/DOCUME%7E1/eee/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]

Germanic languages is one of the easier courses to get into. So the minimum for this course might be e.g. CCCc.

If in some way, you do not meet the minimum requirements, you should still apply to the CAO. And then later on, when the results come out, send a covering letter to TCD (not the CAO), explaining circumstances and begging for a place.


*** Here are some ideas on some of the more important differences between TCD and the English unis…:


1) Trinity is smack in the middle of a congested capital, with all the benefits and disadvantage that brings. It is unusual in having a strong campus life, and yet in the heart of the city. Not like e.g. Imperial having a few sprawling buildings with public roads running thru them


2) TCD undergrad degree courses are generally 4-year courses; all other undergrad courses in Ireland are 3 years, like in England. TCD is afforded that luxury in order to gives its students a deeper and broader education. The “broad curriculum” make it resemble more a Canadian or US university than others in the British Isles. There is maybe more the possibility generally to chop and change courses at TCD than elsewhere… might be useful if not too sure what you want to do (careful: if you change degree title, fees can jump).


3) TCD is, it seems, less afraid to fail students if they don’t meet a III. A II.1 still seems to mean a II.1, not that you have to be a genus to get it. Irish unis are financed differently than in England, and retention and fees are not so linked.


4) Accommodation is not guaranteed to first years, but very likely if living far from TCD. Be careful to follow instructions carefully and early. First years (“Junior Freshmen) live in a leafy suburb a 40m walk away, 15m tram ride. Hall rents from EUR 4400 pa 40 weeks all extras included. In College accommodation from EUR 4000 to much higher. Outside rents likely lower, depending on luxury or lack of it.


6) Student composition is very mixed. Less Dublin than other Dublin unis. More international than other Irish unis. There is a large affirmative action program, much larger than just about anywhere else I’ve seen. Up to 15% of all places are reserved for Irish students from deprived backgrounds (mostly), disabled students or mature students that did not get the opportunity to go to university (so that might amount to 2200 out of 15,000 places… huge!). http://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/access_policy/
There are also significant contingents of Northern Irish, English, Euro continentals, along with Nth Americans, East Asians, and West Africans… all either paying large fees up to EUR 30k or on scholarships/exchanges.


7) Students in third year are often sent on Erasmus, exchanges, etc, and the quality of the exchange universities is on the whole very high.


8) Quite a number of modest scholarships or awards, given sometimes on peculiar grounds – and one big one – the Scholarship exams taken by many students in 2nd year, and giving free accommodation etc. (for 5 years!)


For more student chat, search through boards.ie. It has short forum histories , unlike thestudentroom. But if you do a search in Google and put site:.boards.ie along with your key words, it will come up with lots.

Awayindahils

Our Frank wrote: »

Hi all,


4) What are the drama and student journalism scenes like at TCD?

Drama and journalism are two very active scenes in Trinity. (I'm not sure they're so much scenes as people to drink/party/sleep/improve career prospects with)

Drama- Players is a medium sized society and is very active. There are plenty of fresher opperunities, and further on in college lots of chances to act/direct/script/produce/light etc.

Journalism- There are two college newspapers. Trinity News- which is funded by PUBS, and the The Record which is the SU newspaper. Trinity News regularily wins awards at the Irish student media awards and this year saw the Record improve hugely and I think they won an award. (I'm sure this will be clarified)