Letters coming in for interviews & informal offers. Post here! Mod note 1st post.

Gadfly Girl

Anyone hear yet about BESS or Philosophy, Political Science Economics and Sociology yet?

Azures

Digitaljunkie wrote: »

Azures wrote: »

No joy with Trinity for me - is it because they were my 4th and 5th choice?! :-p

Don't think so, as far as I know the HEI's don't get that info from the CAO.

I heard that people have been asked at interview why they didn't put a Uni as their no. 1 choice. The CAO definitely sends the info out to the institutions.

Larianne

Azures wrote: »

I heard that people have been asked at interview why they didn't put a Uni as their no. 1 choice. The CAO definitely sends the info out to the institutions.

Urban Legend.

Azures

Larianne wrote: »

Azures wrote: »

I heard that people have been asked at interview why they didn't put a Uni as their no. 1 choice. The CAO definitely sends the info out to the institutions.

Urban Legend.

An urban legend? So the CAO doesn't send the application form out to the Universities? I can't see that, there would be no point applying through CAO if that were so. Of course they do.
Don't stress yourselves just because, Trinity were not my 1st, 2nd or 3rd preference. Good luck to those that do want to study there, I hope you get your first choice. Give me the Wesht coast any day!

bayareayogi

Sorry to hear about those who weren't successful!

I just phoned admissions and no final decisions have been made yet for Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy or Human health and Disease for interviews. Was told notifications would only go out when decisions have been made - in the next week or two.

Best of luck to everyone else who's waiting.

Larianne

Azures wrote: »

An urban legend? So the CAO doesn't send the application form out to the Universities? I can't see that, there would be no point applying through CAO if that were so. Of course they do.
Don't stress yourselves just because, Trinity were not my 1st, 2nd or 3rd preference. Good luck to those that do want to study there, I hope you get your first choice. Give me the Wesht coast any day!

The colleges/universities do not know what way they are placed on your CAO application form, unless you state your preference in your personal statement.

Apologies for posting off-topic.

Best of luck everyone!

Dores

Even if they know, that would be so strange if I will not get a place on my second , third choice because they were not the first! Sounds very weird for me...

Feu

to be fair, there are limited mature student places, and they want to give them to the people who they perceive want them the most. That makes sense to me.

Iirc correctly from my own interview, they had my CAO form there, so they could obviously see that i just had the one course down. I do not know if all interviewers have the CAO forms to hand

Dores

thinking this way I should put only one course on my application...?

Larianne

Feu wrote: »

to be fair, there are limited mature student places, and they want to give them to the people who they perceive want them the most. That makes sense to me.

But, just because someone has one college down as 1st preference, that doesn't mean they want choice number 2 any less.

I had Trinity as number 1 and UCD as number 2. TCD was my 1st as it meant one bus to college rather than two. It wasn't anything to do with wanting to go to UCD less. I would have been delighted with either place!

Anyway, as I said before, the college do not know what way you have your preferences listed.

Danny911

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO APPLIED TO NUI GALWAY !!!

Do not panic, emailed the mature students officer today about it and got this reply:

Hi Danny,

We have not began looking at applications at this early stage. What did you apply for? If it is NUI Galway you really want you should have it as your first preference on your CAO application.

Regards
Trish

Trish Hoare
Mature Students Officer/ Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Lánfhásta
C/O Student Contact Centre
Ground Floor, Áras Uí Chathail
National University of Ireland, Galway /Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh

Feu

apologies if i have put the cat among the pigeons!

And so sorry if my post implied that people wanted a lower listed course less, on the contrary, mature student applicants are very dedicated, i was referring to the interviewers perceptions.

I just think people should be prepared to answer the question in an interview, which should be fairly easy --- I wanted to keep my options open, I wanted the course badly, and so applied to 3 colleges etc.

Larianne

Feu wrote: »

apologies if i have put the cat among the pigeons!

And so sorry if my post implied that people wanted a lower listed course less, on the contrary, mature student applicants are very dedicated, i was referring to the interviewers perceptions.

I just think people should be prepared to answer the question in an interview, which should be fairly easy --- I wanted to keep my options open, I wanted the course badly, and so applied to 3 colleges etc.

I getcha now.

But I have never heard of anyone being asked such a question in a mature student interview. It should not come into the equation. You are there to give your reasons as to why you want that course.

Dores

Feu wrote: »

apologies if i have put the cat among the pigeons!

And so sorry if my post implied that people wanted a lower listed course less, on the contrary, mature student applicants are very dedicated, i was referring to the interviewers perceptions.

I just think people should be prepared to answer the question in an interview, which should be fairly easy --- I wanted to keep my options open, I wanted the course badly, and so applied to 3 colleges etc.

It's good to know different point of view .

I've got so confused with application system, that I put my courses "up side down" and I have no idea how to explain it
At the time, I believed that was a very clever idea!... - sorry I am just simply foreigner

Danny911

Just received this, in question to aptitude tests and the like, from Trish, the Mature Students Officer for NUI Galway.

Hi Danny,

Offers are made on the 4th of July. There is no correspondence between NUI Galway and the applicant for these particular courses as entry is based on set criteria as outline in the Mature Students Guide.

In relation to the courses I picked were Business Information Systems, and my second choice was Commerce.

muffinn

Larianne wrote: »

But, just because someone has one college down as 1st preference, that doesn't mean they want choice number 2 any less.

I had Trinity as number 1 and UCD as number 2. TCD was my 1st as it meant one bus to college rather than two. It wasn't anything to do with wanting to go to UCD less. I would have been delighted with either place!

Anyway, as I said before, the college do not know what way you have your preferences listed.

They actually do know that.

My class mate applied for the same course as me in DCU but he hasn't been called for an interview so he started freaking out.

He rang the admission office and has been told that they have been only shortlisting from people whom put the course as their 1st and 2nd choice. Since this course was his 5th choice he hasn't been even considered for being called.

chrismon

I got a letter from AIT telling me that my LC points are high enough for two of the course's I applied to, so I don't have to do an interview .
What happens now? Do I have to wait till the LC results come out?
I also have an interview for another course in AIT in late April.
Exciting times ahead.

Digitaljunkie

muffinn wrote: »

They actually do know that.

My class mate applied for the same course as me in DCU but he hasn't been called for an interview so he started freaking out.

He rang the admission office and has been told that they have been only shortlisting from people whom put the course as their 1st and 2nd choice. Since this course was his 5th choice he hasn't been even considered for being called.

muffinn wrote: »

They actually do know that.

No Larianne is correct only the CAO know your preferences, unless a person mentioned them on their HEI application. I stand corrected on this...:o

Larianne

I stand corrected on the college not knowing your course choices or order of preferences. I emailed the CAO asking can the HEI see your choices and can they decide to not give you a place because of this and got this reply:

Dear Larianne,

Yes they do but they cannot infer anything into
this as they know you can change the order of your
course anytime from the start of May until July
1st.



if you find that your have been discriminated in
any way because of the order of your preference ,
please inform me and I will take issue with in the
institution at the highest level.

Regards,

Ivor Gleeson
General Manager.

So if what people are saying have been said to them/their friends, you can complain about it.

This is ALL news to me. :eek:

Feu

I had a feeling about that alright. Good to have it confirmed thanks Larianne. But I'm quite confused!! So they can see your preferences etc, but if they make a decision based on that, you can appeal it??? how contrary!

To be fair, I knew a girl in my class had been asked about this, but i though they might have changed CAO things slightly. I take your point Larianne that you are there to talk about why you want that course, but i think interviewers have a right to ask/try to determine if you really want that course, if you have it as say your third or fourth preference, especially regarding vocational courses such as health professionals.

E.g. if someone has down say
1.arts ucd
2. arts tcd
3.arts maynooth
4. arts DIT
5. dentistry

Then i could understand the dentistry interviewers asking if that person is really interested. If that makes sense? The CAO has always been put the course you most want first. That is how it is supposed to work, so i can understand that if you have a course down 5th, then that is potentially less preferred. Or could be perceived to be by interview panels

Not trying to ruffle people here, just think people should be prepared to answer questions relating to motivation/interest in interviews

Digitaljunkie

Larianne wrote: »

I stand corrected on the college not knowing your course choices or order of preferences.

That's mad I think most most vec's didn't know that, fair play Larianne.

Anyway i'm doing a bit of interview preparation at the moment, wonder can anyone help.

Roughly how long will the interview last?

I'm thinking as i'm a mature they will ask me about my CV/Work experience etc.

Ask about my personal statement?

Why I want a place at this course/HEI?

Am I missing anything important?

Thanks in advance,

Quaking in me boots Dj...:eek:

anfield bound

Feu wrote: »

I had a feeling about that alright. Good to have it confirmed thanks Larianne. But I'm quite confused!! So they can see your preferences etc, but if they make a decision based on that, you can appeal it??? how contrary!

To be fair, I knew a girl in my class had been asked about this, but i though they might have changed CAO things slightly. I take your point Larianne that you are there to talk about why you want that course, but i think interviewers have a right to ask/try to determine if you really want that course, if you have it as say your third or fourth preference, especially regarding vocational courses such as health professionals.

E.g. if someone has down say
1.arts ucd
2. arts tcd
3.arts maynooth
4. arts DIT
5. dentistry

Then i could understand the dentistry interviewers asking if that person is really interested. If that makes sense? The CAO has always been put the course you most want first. That is how it is supposed to work, so i can understand that if you have a course down 5th, then that is potentially less preferred. Or could be perceived to be by interview panels

Not trying to ruffle people here, just think people should be prepared to answer questions relating to motivation/interest in interviews

true, but say for instance those first 4 arts courses were essentially the same course, it could be argued that dentistry was, in essence, your second choice. what about something like this:

1.history TCD
2.history UCD
3.history& political science TCD
4.history + politics& international relations UCD
5.dentistry

it could be taken that I really want to do history and am prepared to study any combination that allows me to do so.
Personally I'm in a similar boat. a course i've applied for is particularly competitive so a woman at ucd advised me to apply for several combinations...which i feel gives my 4/5 choices on the cao an unflattering (and false) position. basically, if theres a common trend in your first 3/4 choices i think you could very well argue that your 4/5 choice is, in reality, your second.

Digitaljunkie

chrismon wrote: »

I got a letter from AIT telling me that my LC points are high enough for two of the course's I applied to, so I don't have to do an interview .
What happens now? Do I have to wait till the LC results come out?
I also have an interview for another course in AIT in late April.
Exciting times ahead.

Happy days well done.........:)

Feu

Digitaljunkie wrote: »

That's mad I think most most vec's didn't know that, fair play Larianne.

Anyway i'm doing a bit of interview preparation at the moment, wonder can anyone help.

Roughly how long do they last?

I'm thinking as i'm a mature they will ask me about my CV/Work experience etc.

Ask about my personal statement?

Why I want a place at this course/HEI?

Am I missing anything important?

Thanks in advance,

Quaking in me boots Dj...:eek:

funding, how are you going to support yourself for the duration of the course.

how did you become interested in this area?

anfield bound wrote: »

true, but say for instance those first 4 arts courses were essentially the same course, it could be argued that dentistry was, in essence, your second choice. what about something like this:

1.history TCD
2.history UCD
3.history& political science TCD
4.history + politics& international relations UCD
5.dentistry

it could be taken that I really want to do history and am prepared to study any combination that allows me to do so.
Personally I'm in a similar boat. a course i've applied for is particularly competitive so a woman at ucd advised me to apply for several combinations...which i feel gives my 4/5 choices on the cao an unflattering (and false) position. basically, if theres a common trend in your first 3/4 choices i think you could very well argue that your 4/5 choice is, in reality, your second.

and not dentistry?? what would you say at the hypothetical dentistry interview? For kids doing the leaving this doesn't arise. They fill out their forms and get their highest preference automatically if they get the points, but interviewers are looking for people who they perceive to be most interested/motivated/genuine, and they make take your preferences into account. A girl in my class was asked why she had another health science down as a first choice, so this does happen.

I suppose i was just trying to make the point for very specific vocational choices. I understand what you are saying, but i think it makes a difference what your "second" choice is. If it is in the same general area e.g. humanities, then you could understand the general broad interest, but if you're 2 main choices are poles apart, while very real and valid to you, but you must understand that this may "interest" interview panels.

There's a big difference [or should i say little difference] between say

1.history TCD
2.history UCD
3.history& political science TCD
4.history + politics& international relations UCD
5.political geography and sociology

and

1.history TCD
2.history UCD
3.history& political science TCD
4.history + politics& international relations UCD
5.medicine

I suppose i am just trying to get across that I believe it is reasonable for interview panels to ask these questions, so people should be prepared for them.

Larianne

Digitaljunkie wrote: »

That's mad I think most most vec's didn't know that, fair play Larianne.

Anyway i'm doing a bit of interview preparation at the moment, wonder can anyone help.

Roughly how long do they last?

I'm thinking as i'm a mature they will ask me about my CV/Work experience etc.

Ask about my personal statement?

Why I want a place at this course/HEI?

Am I missing anything important?

Thanks in advance,

Quaking in me boots Dj...:eek:

Well I'm just going by my own experience - they had my personal statement in front of them and just asked what I had done since I finished my leaving cert in 2000. Then asked about how my previous work experience might help me on the course I was applying to. THey asked me what I knew about the course and the profession and asked how would I cope with the workload/study. And then did I have any questions.

I think most of the interviews I did lasted 15-20 minutes. They are usually pretty informal. They understand people are nervous.

HollyRichter

Hey everyone,
I got my letter today asking me to attend an interview on the 24th for the Psychology course...so happy but nervous too.
Has anybody else received letters and anybody who has done an interview before and has some tips...send them this way please:):) x

Feu

yeh i felt that the panel that interviewed me were very understanding of nerves.

Certainly in my course they love mature students, and so i think they really enjoy the interviews. Remember, most of the time lecturers don't get to meet people and hear their reasons for doing a course, so it is your opportunity to show your interest and commitment. And the lecturers want to hear how passionate you are about their subject

and if they interview you, they think you have the potential to do the course, so don't second guess yourself. They will have seen something in your personal essay or work experience that makes them want to know more, and hear from you.

edit: congratulations to Holly and everyone who has been called to interview:D

HollyRichter

Feu wrote: »

yeh i felt that the panel that interviewed me were very understanding of nerves.

Certainly in my course they love mature students, and so i think they really enjoy the interviews. Remember, most of the time lecturers don't get to meet people and hear their reasons for doing a course, so it is your opportunity to show your interest and commitment. And the lecturers want to hear how passionate you are about their subject

and if they interview you, they think you have the potential to do the course, so don't second guess yourself. They will have seen something in your personal essay or work experience that makes them want to know more, and hear from you.

edit: congratulations to Holly and everyone who has been called to interview:D

Thanks Feu. I have travelled alot and spoke about that in my personal statement so I think that would have influenced them as I am told they like mature students who have done some travelling.
I am excited and nervous at the same time as this is hugely important, would love to know how many others are being interviewed too, they said 10 but I think it is probably a bit more.
What course did you go for....was the interview casual chatting or are there specific questions they will ask...also is the dress formal?
Sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to mess this up lol x

antkeane

Got an email from D.I.T informing me that interview descisions are being made at the moment.

RoebuckWilson

antkeane wrote: »

Got an email from D.I.T informing me that interview descisions are being made at the moment.

Oooh! Fingers crossed for ya! What course have you applied for?

Did it come from general admissions or course department?
I've applied late so I think I'll be waiting a LONG time before I hear anything... eep!