*$*$*$* CAO OFFERS - HOW THEY WORK!!!!!!! *$*$*$*

randylonghorn

(Round 1 offers - 18th August 2014, 6 a.m.)


Guys, can I suggest people have a look at the offers section (page 21 especially) of the CAO handbook over the next few days ...

*** link here ***


I'm sure some of you know it by heart by now, but there are still people popping up questions that show they don't understand how the system works.



In particular, this bit is core to the way the CAO system works, yet seems to cause confusion ...


Offer of highest preference

You will be offered a place in the highest of your course preferences to which you are entitled (if any).

This will be done, independently, in respect of Level 8 and Level 7/Level 6 choices.

You may, therefore, receive two offers at the same time; one for the highest Level 8 preference to which you are entitled and the other for the highest Level 7/Level 6 preference to which you are entitled.


Exclusion from lower preferences

IMPORTANT: When you have been offered a place in one of your course preferences, you are excluded from further consideration for any course which is lower in your order of preference than the one in which you have been offered a place.

This means that while you may subsequently move upwards in your order of preference (if places become available due to withdrawals) you will not be considered for a place in a course which is a lower preference than that already offered.


Later offers for higher preference

If you are being offered a place in a course which is not your first preference, you may subsequently be offered a place in a course of higher preference if such a place becomes available.

This applies whether or not the earlier offer has been accepted. It is NOT necessary to accept an offer in order to be considered for a higher preference if it becomes available later. There is no guarantee, of course, that a higher preference will become available.


Non-acceptance of subsequent offers

Having accepted an offer of a place, you are not obliged to accept a subsequent offer. You may retain the original offer simply by ignoring the subsequent one.




Available / Vacant places

See the CAO website - vacant places




Link to CAO log-in page ... log into your CAO account here!

randylonghorn

Some useful Q&A posts copied from previous CAO threads (some edited / shortened slightly) ... please read, your question may have been answered!!

YodaBoy wrote: »

What happens of you accept an offer low down on the list, then you get your points boosted in a recheck; by the time you got the updated results you would already have started in college... Do you have to take a higher offer if you get it or is the course already filled up when you get the rechrcked results??

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

If you did go up in points and get offered the higher course, it depends on the course as to what they do. Some courses will only take you the following year, so if you accept it they will hold a place for you next year. Other courses leave spaces for people who go up in rechecks.

Victoria. wrote: »

Does the CAO sort by matriculation requirements too?
Say if you didn't get a required grade for maths but you got enough points would it offer you that course solely on points so you wouldn't be offered another one or would it take the maths into account?

randylonghorn wrote: »

No, you will be offered the highest ranked course to which you are entitled ... if there is a requirement for a C3 in maths for a course, for example, and you only get a D, you will not be offered that course even if you have the points.

LouiseZ wrote: »

Say you got offered your second choice course, and you accepted that offer, if the points for your first choice course drop in the second round and due to that points drop you get in, can you still get offered a place on your first choice course?
...even if you've accepted the second choice course...I should probably know this..:rolleyes:

pathway33 wrote: »

Yes provided you meet the matriculation requirements as well as the points.

You can go up on the CAO but the CAO will never let you go down.

Golden rule: 'The only way is up'

Say you got 500 points and your first choice in round 1 was 505 and your second choice was 495 then you get your second choice providing you also meet the matriculation requirements (e.g OC3 in maths which you satisfy by getting an OC1)

In the second round you will get your first choice if it drops to 500 and you get pulled out on random selection or if it drops to below 500. That's providing your first choice does not have an entry requirement like OB3 in maths because you only got an OC1. In this case you have the points but not the entry requirement and so stick on your round 1 offer. If you had your OB3 in maths then your first choice is yours if you wish

fancyschmancy wrote: »

if you accept a course this year, then after one year decide you don't like it, how can you change course? is it based on leaving cert points 2010 or on university exams from your first year?

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

If you reapply through the CAO for a completely different course, you're applying with all the current leaving certs so it goes on whatever the required points are in that year, not what it was when you did the LC.

If you just want to change course without changing university and without going back and repeating first year, you should contact the university to see what they can do for you. For example, doing first year marine science and wanting to move into environmental sci (provided the 1st year courses are the same, as they are for a lot of sciences). You MAY have to repeat first year if the courses have different first year modules.

If you're changing university but staying in the same type of course, eg, doing 1st year science or something like that but wanting to do second year of the same course somewhere else, you apply for a transfer. You must have the points that were required in the year you started the course, eg, if you take science in NUIG for 350 points, and Trinity was 450, if you didn't have the 450 in the first place you can't transfer. You also have to meet the other transfer requirements set out by the university, most require that you pass your first year college exams, fill out an application form and write a personal statement.

Theres also the issue of paying fees if you reapply through the CAO and enter 1st year for the 2nd time, whether in a different uni or not. You must pay the fees for 1st year of the course. If a transfer is approved, and you go direct from 1st year in one uni to 2nd year in another, you don't pay fees.

lallychops wrote: »

how do you actually accept offers? do you go into the cao website and accept there??

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

On the day of the offers, you log into your cao account. You'll have 2 boxes, 1 for level 8 and 1 for level 7, saying what course you've been accepted, the college and the course number. There'll be an "accept" button beside it, click it and thats it!

You also get it by post (the same day I think?) so you can fill out that form and send it back, but the quicker and easier way is online.

Astrozombies wrote: »

Say in the 1st offer, I accept a course I'm given, but when the 2nd round of offers come out the points have dropped enough for a course that was higher on my CAO and I'm offered that also.. Will I be able to accept my 2nd offer after already accepting my first? If I accept the 2nd, will my first offer just vanish or will I have to write/call and explain that I don't want it anymore?

That being said... will I even be offered a 2nd offer if I have already accepted my first?

Just want to clarify thanks!

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

If you get offered a second round offer, and you want to accept it, it will then cancel out your first offer automatically. You won't need to inform anyone about it, just click "Accept" on your CAO form.

Like you said, this course has to be higher than the original course you accepted. You won't get offered choice 3 if you've already accepted choice 2, but you might be offered choice 1. Accepting your first offer won't matter to the second round, if you deserve a course you will be offered it. You don't necessarily have to accept it though, you can stick with the original offer.

Folester27 wrote: »

I got 410, my course says 410*

*-all candidates with this score were not offered a place

Anyone care to shed some light on this obviously cruel statement?!

Avox wrote: »

It means the course went to random selection. It has a set amount of places, most of the applicants got over 410, and when it came down to filling say the last 5 places on the course, there were 10 applicants, all with the same score of 410, so the CAO computer had to choose randomly which 5 could get in to the course.

Noccy_Mondy

One more thing Randy, was reading one of the papers yesterday and it stated that once you accept a course online, then you should print out that letter of acceptance. Don't think this was the case before. I tried to ring the CAO to query this, but I couldn't get through, so I rang one of the collages and they said yes, the letter of acceptance should be printed out, or at least a copy sent to your email. My knowledge of the CAO isn't great so I don't know why, or whether you need the copy further along the line, but it's something to look into before Monday.

CitrusCircus

What happens if you get into a course, but someone else appealed and got higher points than you, even though you accepted the course?
E.G If the minimum points in a given year are 250, and you were accepted on the basis that you got 250 (random selection). However someone appealed later and achieved 255. Does this mean your slot on the course will be replaced?

randylonghorn

CitrusCircus wrote: »

Does this mean your slot on the course will be replaced?

No, ofc not.

Colleges will normally keep a couple of places for people who go up on rechecks, and if they end up with one or two people above their target number, they live with it.

Your offer won't be withdrawn just because someone went up on a recheck!

typical username

Hey
My first CAO choice was a course at WIT that requires at least a B3 in Maths to get in. I've been studying for their Maths Entrance Exam which is on Friday August 29th to get in that way.
I've been offered a lower choice and I'm wondering am I able to accept this course, and then if i get the grade I need in the WIT Maths Entrance Exam will I still get offered my top choice again?
Thanks

randylonghorn

typical username wrote: »

Hey
My first CAO choice was a course at WIT that requires at least a B3 in Maths to get in. I've been studying for their Maths Entrance Exam which is on Friday August 29th to get in that way.
I've been offered a lower choice and I'm wondering am I able to accept this course, and then if i get the grade I need in the WIT Maths Entrance Exam will I still get offered my top choice again?
Thanks

If you qualify for a place higher up your list of choices in Round 2 or whenever, you will be offered it whether or not you accept your offer to-day or not.

So the safest bet is to accept to-day's offer (assuming you would be happy to take it if its your only choice).

fontdor

Just wondering if you accept your offer in the first round will you get another offer in the second round as well?

randylonghorn

fontdor wrote: »

Just wondering if you accept your offer in the first round will you get another offer in the second round as well?

If you become entitled to one because points drop, yes ... there is no guarantee, though, and most students don't.

If you are entitled to one, you will get it whether or not you accept your Round 1 offer (see first post in this thread).

fontdor

randylonghorn wrote: »

If you become entitled to one because points drop, yes ... there is no guarantee, though, and most students don't.

If you are entitled to one, you will get it whether or not you accept your Round 1 offer (see first post in this thread).

Thank you very much for your reply.

acermaple

Hi I have accepted my 3rd choice in the first round of offers. I was just 5 points short of my 2nd choice and have applied to view my scripts at the weekend. If I am successful in 'finding' an extra 5 points will I be obliged to accept my 2nd choice or can I keep going with my 3rd choice and ignore the new offer?

randylonghorn

acermaple wrote: »

Hi I have accepted my 3rd choice in the first round of offers. I was just 5 points short of my 2nd choice and have applied to view my scripts at the weekend. If I am successful in 'finding' an extra 5 points will I be obliged to accept my 2nd choice or can I keep going with my 3rd choice and ignore the new offer?

From the first post in this thread:

randylonghorn wrote: »

Non-acceptance of subsequent offers

Having accepted an offer of a place, you are not obliged to accept a subsequent offer. You may retain the original offer simply by ignoring the subsequent one.

So yes, you can ignore your second choice and keep going with your third in the circumstances you outline.

acermaple

Thanks for your reply,much appreciated:).

fishnetsxD

I got my second choice which I am content with. However I was not happy with my English result and I want to recheck it.

I got 465 which was the minimum points for my course. If I get a lower grade in the rechecks which would bring me to 460, could I get kicked out of my course.

randylonghorn

fishnetsxD wrote: »

I got my second choice which I am content with. However I was not happy with my English result and I want to recheck it.

I got 465 which was the minimum points for my course. If I get a lower grade in the rechecks which would bring me to 460, could I get kicked out of my course.

View your papers with a teacher, preferably an experienced examiner.

THEN decide whether to request a recheck.

You may not be happy with your English result, but that in itself doesn't mean it's wrong.

If you have looked at the paper with someone experienced before deciding to get it rechecked, and listened to their advice, the chances of it going down are pretty much zero. It only happens with a very very tiny number each year anyway, and they're pretty much always people who request a re-check without even looking at the script, and they are usually people who in fact were only a mark or two above the cut-off for the grade they actually got.

On your other question, no, colleges do not withdraw places in those circumstances.