Can someone explaine CAO to me please?

Laydee

Ok so, I am going back to do my Leaving Cert.
Let's say I get enough points to do a course & apply through CAO.
What happens? Is it free or just cheaper than applying privatey?

MrStuffins

The CAO are a third party between the prospective stuents and the colleges. Instead of you having to write letters here there and everywhere to apply, copying your Leaving Cert results to send etc, you do it through the CAO.

You fill in a form with the 10 colleges you want to apply to, in order of preference (You can apply for 10 level 6/7 courses and 10 level 8) and send it along to them.

They apply to the colleges for you and come Leaving Cert time, they know your results and pass them onto the colleges. So the colleges know exactly who they want to give courses to. If you meet the criteria, you will recieve a letter confirming this and you simply send a tear off piece ofsaid letter back to them to confirm. If you get turned down for your 1st choice, you get offered your second, and so on.

I don't know if it's easier to apply privately but i imagine the colleges allocate most of their places to people applying through CAO.

(by the way, im not 100% sure if i have added all the details, i applied like 5 years ago )

RealistSpy

You have to pay

MrStuffins

Oh yeah, you gotta pay a little.

I think mine was like €30 or something, which would still be kinda cheaper than applying to 20 different courses by post or whatever.

Laydee

I am old enough to apply as a mature student so I think I'll take that route intead of doing the LC.
I'm assuming it's too early to apply for Sept 2010.