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*** CAO - a few important points ***

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  • 23-06-2010 7:52pm
    #1
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    CAO "change of mind" deadline - 5.15 p.m. on 1st July


    Just a reminder to everyone of the way the CAO works, given that people are beginning to think of change-of-mind:

    When the CAO gets round to offering places, you will be offered the first course on your list for which you have enough points, and everything below that on the list vanishes instantly. If you missed a higher ranked option on your list by a few points, and the points drop in a later round, you may well be offered that ... but you will never be offered a lower option on your list, even if the points for it were higher than the course you were offered, and you achieved those points.

    The system presumes you knew your own mind when you ranked your choices.

    Which is why it is absolutely essential that you rank your CAO choices in the order in which YOU would like to be offered them ... NOT according to what way you think the points might go, not in order of supposed status, not for any other reason except "I really want to do X, that goes down first; if I don't get X, then Y is my next preference ..." and so on.


    Or ... as one of your own peers puts it ...

    dan_d wrote: »

    Golden Rule for the CAO, which most people don't seem to cop...

    Put the course you want the most in the top position, regardless of whether or not you think you'll get the points.

    You cannot go up on the CAO form. Only down. You won't get it if you don't at least ask!!!!


    The CAO itself puts it this way:
    CAO Handbook wrote:

    Order of Preference:

    It is MOST IMPORTANT that you state your course choices in view of genuine preference and/or career plans.

    IT IS A MISTAKE to base your choices only on your present expectation of examination performance or the points levels of previous years.

    There is no need to fear that a statement of your genuine order of preference will militate against you. If you are not successful in your first choice this will have no effect on your chances of obtaining a place in one of your lower preferences.


    So ... why am I basically repeating the same thing three times?! Premature senility?!!

    No ... because year after year, this is the thing which trips people up, no matter how often it is said!!



    *** Link to CAO Handbook ***

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




    How the CAO works:

    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.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Victoria.
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭Victoria.


    Ugh I have some decisions to make. :confused:

    No idea what to do. I want to get it done a few days before the 1st so the system doesn't crash anyway.

    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?


  • Options
    #3
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    Victoria. wrote: »
    Ugh I have some decisions to make. :confused:

    No idea what to do. I want to get it done a few days before the 1st so the system doesn't crash anyway.

    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?
    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.


  • Options
    #4
    Victoria.
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭Victoria.


    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.

    Thanks :)


  • Options
    #5
    mark.oc
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭mark.oc


    This is official acknowledgement of the pun, randy.


  • Options
    #6
    LouiseZ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭LouiseZ


    Say you got offered your second choice course, and you accepted that offer, if the pionts for your first choice course drop in the second round and due to that pionts 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:


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  • Options
    #7
    pathway33
    Registered Users Posts: 2,229 ✭✭✭pathway33


    LouiseZ wrote: »
    Say you got offered your second choice course, and you accepted that offer, if the pionts for your first choice course drop in the second round and due to that pionts 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:

    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


  • Options
    #8
    fancyschmancy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭fancyschmancy


    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?


  • Options
    #9
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    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?

    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.


  • Options
    #10
    fancyschmancy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭fancyschmancy


    thank you QueenOfLeon :)


  • Options
    #11
    lallychops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭lallychops


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


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  • Options
    #12
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    lallychops wrote: »
    how do you actually accept offers? do you go into the cao website and accept there??

    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.


  • Options
    #13
    lallychops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭lallychops


    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.

    thanks very much :)


  • Options
    #14
    muffinz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 487 ✭✭muffinz


    What date do the offers come out? I feel like this question is retarded, but the date isnt even on the feckin site!


  • Options
    #15
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    muffinz wrote: »
    What date do the offers come out? I feel like this question is retarded, but the date isnt even on the feckin site!

    It'll be the Monday after the Wednesday you get the results. I'll try get a link..

    Edit: Yup, the 23rd of August. If you go into the "My application" part of the cao website, theres a table with offer date and reply date. Round One would be what you're looking for :)


  • Options
    #16
    Konata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭Konata


    Right, these Round Zero offers are out on the 5th - does anyone know who this applies to?

    I re-applied to the CAO this year after dropping out of college - will I get my offer then or do I have to wait till the 23rd? I know I have well over the points for my chosen course but just wondering...


  • Options
    #17
    Crunchy Friends
    Registered Users Posts: 233 ✭✭Crunchy Friends


    Hotaru wrote: »
    Right, these Round Zero offers are out on the 5th - does anyone know who this applies to?

    I re-applied to the CAO this year after dropping out of college - will I get my offer then or do I have to wait till the 23rd? I know I have well over the points for my chosen course but just wondering...

    I second this. Does anyone know? My boyfriend is in the same situation Hotaru and seen as no offer came through this morning he is a bit worried. He too has over 200 surplus points for his course


  • Options
    #18
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    Crunchy Friends wrote: »
    I second this. Does anyone know? My boyfriend is in the same situation Hotaru and seen as no offer came through this morning he is a bit worried. He too has over 200 surplus points for his course

    I think that if you reapply you're treated the same as anyone who's in leaving cert who applied to the cao. You would still have to wait for the results to come out as the points for each course depend on the scores from everyone's leaving cert this year.


  • Options
    #19
    unknown13
    Registered Users Posts: 6,659 ✭✭✭unknown13


    Hotaru wrote: »
    Right, these Round Zero offers are out on the 5th - does anyone know who this applies to?

    I re-applied to the CAO this year after dropping out of college - will I get my offer then or do I have to wait till the 23rd? I know I have well over the points for my chosen course but just wondering...

    They are the restricted entry courses I believe.


  • Options
    #20
    Konata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭Konata


    Yup, no offer so it's waiting till the 23rd I guess :D

    In hindsight it makes sense - my offer still depends on the LC points for this year so despite the fact that there's no way I CAN'T be offered my first choice, I've still got to wait >_<

    Gimme confirmation nao please!


  • Options
    #21
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    Hotaru wrote: »
    Yup, no offer so it's waiting till the 23rd I guess :D

    In hindsight it makes sense - my offer still depends on the LC points for this year so despite the fact that there's no way I CAN'T be offered my first choice, I've still got to wait >_<

    Gimme confirmation nao please!

    I have the SLIGHTEST inkling that you'll be ok. Not to give you false hope or anything :P


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