Breda Whelan Guidance Counsellor 2016 6 CAO Information

Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 6

CAO Information Evening l l All Information is in CAO Handbook and Website. Dates and Following CAO Procedure very Important. Students are all familiar with all of this information. Familiarise Parents with main points of CAO Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 7

Decision Making l l Your Choice Opening Doors and Opportunities Combination of Interest, Ability and Aptitude Happy and Content with Decisions Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 8

Key points in Applying to 3 rd level l l Centralised Application System for 3 rd level Institutions. Every 6 th Year has a pack since September containing all of application and course information and familiar with websites Application Process has many stages and these must be adhered to or YOU Could LOSE YOUR COURSE PLACE NB late CAO 1 st May but can’t apply restricted courses Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 9

Timetable of CAO Events November 5 th CAO online Application Facility opens January 20 th apply online by this date , avail of discount price of 25 euro. Free change of mind until Jan 31 st January closing date up until 5. 15 Cost 40 euro NB must have Restricted Courses in Application( Feb 5 th can amend courses up until 1 st March but charge 10 euro) March /April documents Tests and auditions for restricted courses Closing date for HEAR/DARE Applications Change of Mind facility opens NBBreda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 Statement of Application Record May 5 th Before End May 10

Continued CAO Dates July 1 st 5. 15 pm Change of mind online facility closes. Mid August Leaving Cert results are issued ( mid-August) 21 st August (expected date) round 1 offers are issued online 6 am 28 th Aug (expected date) offers must be accepted by 5. 15 pm 31 st August Round 2 offers [opportunity to view scripts: Early September] Offer season ends 18 th October Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 11

Restricted Courses l l l Care must be taken with courses that are marked restricted these are marked clearly in handbook or CAO Website These courses cannot be applied for after 1 st of February because they have extra assessments e. g. some art courses, medicine, music and architecture. (clearly marked) Can Be amended 10 euro fee from 6 th February to 1 st March Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 12

NB: May Statement of Application Record l This notifies you the candidate of what information CAO has about you on file e. g. courses applied for etc. If you have not heard from them by 1 st June contact them immediately. l This is totally your responsibility and this is where mistakes are made Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 13

Timely Action l l In order to be fair to all applicants , closing dates are strict and therefore action should be taken in good time Do not leave everything to the last minute Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 14

Choosing Courses Research each course carefully from prospectus , websites and visiting college etc. l Consult with your Guidance Counsellor l Discuss with family and friends l Open Days l Websites: CAO, Qualifax. ie , Careersportal. ie (Reach Programme) College websites etc. Your Responsibility l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 15

Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 16

The (QQI)FETAC Progression Route Leaving Cert FETAC(PLC) Level 5 course Level 6 course Level 7 Level 8 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 Level 8 course 17

College Entry Requirements l General College Requirements: l Degree[Hons] [Level 8] requirements: l Cert[Level 6]/Pass Degree[Level 7] Requirements: l Specific Course Requirements: l Points Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 18

Summary College Requirements: l NUI Colleges : NUIG, Maynooth University, UCC&UCD 2 H 5&4 O 6/H 7 including 3 langs(Eng, Irish&lang) except if you have language exemption or studying science, nursing or engineering courses. Foundation Maths accepted for matric purposes but not for subject requirement. l l Trinity: 3 H 5&3 H 7/O 6 including Eng, Irish/Lang and Maths DCU: 2 H 5&4 H 7/O 6 including Eng/Irish and Maths UL: 2 H 5&4 H 7/O 6 including Eng, Irish/Lang and Maths IT: Eng/Irish and Maths Level 8 (2 H 5&4 H 7/O 6) Level 6/7 (5 H 7/O 6) l Colleges Primary teaching courses (3 H 5&3 H 7/O 6) 19 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016

Subject Requirements l Maths, English & Irish - most commonly required. l A 3 rd Language is required by the NUI Colleges. Except Science, engineering and nursing l Most Business courses state a requirement in Maths - not a business subject! l An Art portfolio is required for most art related courses - Art itself is not always a requirement! l A minimum of one science subject is required for the following fields: l Nursing, Medical/paramedical, Science, Engineering Check different colleges have different requirements! Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 20

POINTS ALLOCATION Grade A 1 A 2 B 1 B 2 B 3 Honours 100 90 85 80 75 C 1 C 2 C 3 70 65 60 D 1 D 2 D 3 l l Ordinary 60 50 45 40 35 55 50 45 Honours maths extra 25 points LCVP Distinction 70 points Merit 50 points Pass 30 points 30 25 20 15 10 5 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 21

Grades H 1/O 1 90 -100% l H 2/O 2 80 -90% l H 3/O 3 70 -80% l H 4/O 4 60 -70% l H 5/O 5 50 -60% l H 6/O 6 40 -50% l H 7/O 7 30 -40% l LCVP Grades l Distinction : 66 l Merit: 46 Pass: 28 l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 22

LCVP points : Distinction Merit Pass Bonus Points for Maths 25 Bonus points will be added to the points score for Leaving Certificate Higher Level Maths. • Students achieving a grade H 6 or higher will have 25 Bonus Points added to their total score for Honours Maths - the grade itself does not change. • No bonus points are given for H 7 in Honours Maths, or for any Ordinary Level Maths grade. NOTE: The 25 Bonus points for Honours Maths are not counted unless Maths is included in the top six subjects counted for the purpose of calculating CAO points. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 23

Levels 6, 7 and 8 l l l Students have 20 choices in CAO 10 choices from level 8 courses and 10 from of level 6 and 7 courses Each list of 10 choices are treated independently In August Students will hopefully get 2 offers 1 offer from level 8 choice and 1 offer from level 6/7 choice level Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 24

HPAT test for medicine l Medicine in Ireland is now a restricted course l Students cannot apply for medicine unless they have sat the HPAT (min 480 pts in LC + HPAT results) l Register to sit HPAT 5 th November to 20 th January you must have applied to CAO first as need a CAO number, cost € 130(late 1 st Feb) l Exam is on 28 th February only at number of locations (2. 5 hours multiple choice) l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 Results are out in late June 25

NB: May Statement of Application Record l This notifies you the candidate of what information CAO has about you on file e. g. courses applied for etc. If you have not heard from them by 1 st June contact them immediately. l This is totally your responsibility and this is where mistakes are made Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 26

Order of Preference l l l Most important thing to be learnt tonight is: ORDER OF PREFERENCE Place your course choice in genuine order of preference! To do otherwise would be a grave mistake Points for courses depend on supply and demand Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 27

The Offer Process: l l Your offer notice may contain an offer l for a Level 8 course l or a Level 7/6 course l or both If you receive two offers at the same time you may only accept one of them. accept an offer before 5. 15 pm on the closing date. Deferral Procedure Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 28

These are the applicants for CK 101 Arts in UCC. The examination results have not yet been released, so these applicants are in no particular order. We are going to trace the progress of the applicant marked in red. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 29

Applicants are placed in a queue for each course they applied for, their position in the queue is determined by their points. The applicant with the highest points is placed at the top of the queue. The points achieved by the applicant in red determines his position in the queue for each course Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 30 he applied to.

The applicants marked in green have enough points to be offered places. The applicant marked in red has enough points for his second preference. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 31

The applicant in red is offered his second preference, the highest preference course that he has enough points for, and he will now disappear from the queue in all his lower choices. Placing DN 201 as his second preference meant that he would prefer to receive an offer on DN 201 than on any other course except CK 101 - which is his first preference. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 32

Having been offered his second preference he must now decide to accept it or to do nothing. If he does not accept the offer the place will be offered to another applicant in the next round of offers. Regardless of whether he accepts or not he will still be considered for an offer on his first preference if a place becomes available. In the second round, one more offer was made on CK 101 and our applicant is now at the top of the queue. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 33

Genuine Order of Preference • You do not need to guess what the points are going to be for the courses you are interested in. • Simply list your courses in genuine order of preference from the highest preference 1, to the lowest preference 10. • If you are entitled to an offer, you will be offered the highest preference that you are entitled to. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 34

Places Allocation Notes of Importance: l l The position of a course in a student’s preference order does not in any way affect their chance of getting a place on that course. The exact same procedure takes place for both lists on the form, hence students may get 2 offers in August – one from each list, may accept only one. l Students should think carefully about not accepting one of these offers, as they may not receive any further offers. l Regardless of whether or not they accept a course in round 1, they will still be offered a higher preference course in subsequent rounds if they become entitled one. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 35

List of visitor/speakers l l l l Shannon College of Hotel Management Shannon NUIG Nursing NUIG 12/12/16 Mary Immaculate College University of Limerick University College Galway GMIT Galway UCC Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) l l l l Speakers January Engingeering Science Arts Law Business Apprenticships Colleges of further Education. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 36

Deferral Do not accept your offer l l l Write to college requesting to defer college place Keep all documentation Re apply to CAO following year Place deferred choice as first and only choice Tick deferred box Follow all procedures as outlined by CAO Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 37

The QQI-FET Progression Route Leaving Cert FETAC(PLC) Level 5 course Level 6 course Level 7 Level 8 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 Level 8 course 38

FETAC Progression Routes – Further Education (PLC) CAS/FETAC level 5 or 6 l In 2016, 38 HEI’s offering places to FETAC applicants Currently 20% of all CAO applicants have a level 5/6 FETAC AWARD (not applying on the basis of LC) Since 2014 every FETAC Award will be part of the CAS (Common Awards System) Based on a CREDITS system (max 120=390 points) Some courses are ‘linked’ to specific related courses l For more information look up CAO website l l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 39

Examples of popular PLC colleges: l. Ennis College of Further Education l. Limerick College of Further Education l. Galway Technical Institute l. Cork College of Commerce v. Students apply directly to the COLLEGES for these places not the CAO. No points but interview Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 40

Examples of popular PLC courses: l l l Beauty and Alternative Therapies Accounting Technician Nursing Studies (go to UK Nursing) Social Studies Sports and Recreation Car Maintenance Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 41

Higher Education Scheme (CAS/FETAC) 2 different Systems l l l Universities only offer places from a reserved quota IT’s generally accept applications based on any CAS or FETAC award in open competition with Leaving Cert Candidates. Can get up to 390 points!! There are 38 higher Institutions involved Information on CAO website Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 42

NOTE: l Not all Colleges courses accept QQI-Fetac Awards check CAO for list l It is clearly listed now whether a CAS/FETAC entry route is available or not. Careersportal. ie/ CAO. ie l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 43

Apprenticeships Trade New Apprenticeships 25 l Traditional Apprenticeships 27 , Level 6 Qualification. (Bursary for women) New Apprenticeship (Earn And Learn) Software development § Medical devices § Insurance § Financial services § Accountancy § Logistics § Hospitality 2 approved Insurance Practitioners and Industrial/Electrical Engineers. § Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 44

Other Alternatives: l l l l l Traditional craft Apprenticeships SOLAS, 4 yrs , level 6 Apprenticeships and trade(25 new apprenticeships) level 5 -9 Industry Apprenticeships (air craft mechanics etc) Construction Practice Course lead apprentice or Technician in ITs Agricultural Colleges The Gardaí , keep an eye on publicjobs. ie for advice on recruitment Cadets : 3 HD + 3 ODs and Defence Forces UCAS: English System, academic , personal statement, reference and interview Studying Abroad, Dutch Universities becoming popular. Check www. eunicas. com Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 45

Postgraduate Entry: l Postgraduate study is a Level 9 qualification and can only be done once a student has a Level 8 Honours Degree. l The postgraduate route is an opportunity to allow students specialise in an area of interest eg. Clinical Psychology. l So the undergraduate programme you choose could be important. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 46

Worth Noting! Primary teaching: Level 8, grade 2. 2, H 5 Irish or equivalent and selection based on interview. Example: Grad Entry to Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. v v 2 yrs in UL require graduates from any discipline a 2. 2 grade demonstrate interest in the course. NB 2016 must do HPAT for OT and S&L Grad Entry Physiotherapy the same as OT & S&L but you must sit the GAMSTAT Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 47

Many students also avail of Postgrad Opportunities in the UK: Example: A popular route for many Irish students who are interested in Pharmacy has been to go to the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen for 4 yrs after they have completed a degree in science. Example 2: Graduates from a discipline like Sports Science or a Health Science could do a postgrad in the UK in Physiotherapy (2 yrs). l NB Implications with BREXIT Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 48

UK Option! l l l l l There a number of accelerated degrees in the Health Sciences available in the UK in courses such as: Nursing OT Speech and Language Therapy Physiotherapy Radiography Medicine Dentistry If interested in any of these RESEARCH NOW so you do the right undergrad!! BREXIT? Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 49

Specific learning Difficulties § § Students with a disability or a specific learning difficulty tick this box on their CAO form, fill in a Supplementary Information Form : Detailing help received in school and how the disability or learning difficulty has affected your learning. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 50

DARE Application l l Students with a learning difficulty or a disability are also given the opportunity to apply through the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) This is a procedure on the CAO that may allow a student with a SLD or a disability entry to a course even if they are short some of the points Not everybody that has a SLD is guaranteed entry through DARE Clinic 21 st January UL Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 51

DARE l l l Only a certain number of colleges are part of the DARE scheme (check) but colleges will have their own access system Students must have a psychological report or medical report in order to qualify for the DARE scheme, changes 2017. If students are not accepted for the DARE scheme they will compete with all other CAO applicants. Their application to DARE will not affect their CAO application in any way. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 52

HEAR l l l The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third level admissions scheme for school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It is NOT a maintenance grant – it is an admissions scheme to help students who might not traditionally go to third level. Clinic 21 st January in UL Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 53

The HEAR Application >evidence of socio-economic circumstances >satisfy matriculation/minimum entry and subject requirements. >indicate on CAO >send in necessary documentation are eligible to compete for a quota of places allocated to applicants on a reduced points basis across participating HEIs Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 54

CAO Application 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Online application is very straight forward Students have all done draft on online Personal information Educational Information Choices Any other relevant information Payment visa , laser or bank HEAR and DARE sections Access Routes: by colleges not in HEAR/DARE Check CAO college alert lists NB everything required is filled in properly as you could lose your place in college in August. NB: check statement of record is correct in May Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 55

Grants 3 rd level grants are means tested l contact www. susi. ie to apply l More information can be got at www. studentfinance. ie l No Registration Fee if you get grant Cost of Leaving : l l Registration Fee € 3000 max Living at home=€ 7083 Living away=€ 10, 980/€ 12000 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 56

Remember! Ø Students need to be available to: Ø accepting your offer Ø If you want to view a script Ø If you want to get any paper rechecked Ø To sort out your accommodation! Ø Registrer in college Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 57

Scholarships: l Academic Schlorships based on academic preformance and awarded by college. l Sports Scholarships apply to individual college eg hurling, rowing, basketball etc. some extra points added to LC l Other Scholarships : Intel engineering , sometimes l companies may offer scholarships to colleges. E. g over 40 different scholarships or bursaries in UL alone New Scholarships sports and community achievements. l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 58

Going to college in Europe l Many colleges offer EU students the opportunity to study at very reasonable prices through the medium of English across many excellent universities l Check out the Eunicas. ie Website for more information about dates and costs Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 59

Accommodation 1. On Campus is probably best 2. Utility bills paid to management company 3. Better chance of settling in to college near activities. 4. Make friends with other 1 st years l Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 60

Ucas english System l l 15 Oct 2016 - medical and vet sciences Cambridge /Oxford universities All other courses 15 January 2017 Different system : Register, Personal Statement, predicted Grades, Reference and sometimes interview Research Courses thoroughly. Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 61

Things to remember Extra Information l l l l l Always Choices Broad Entry to Courses l What to do if unhappy UCAS l Mental Health EUNICAS l Switching Courses DARE/HEAR Clinics l When fees charged Access Programme l Sign up Careersnews. ie Garda Vetting l Email us let us know what you are up to Random Numbers l Don’t fail maths!! Deferal of college place Teaching Council Registration 2017 Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 62

Useful Resources l l l l College Prospectuses – 2017 Entry Careersportal website + Reach Programme CAO Handbook 2017 www. qualifax. ie CAO website College website All students and parents should sign up to careersnews. ie for the latest information Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 63

Always options and choices l Ask for help until you get it! l Contact me phone 065 6822105 or email: careerguidance@ricecollege. ie l Keep in touch email us let us know what you are doing at careerguidance@ricecololege. ie §Thank You Breda Whelan, Guidance Counsellor 2016 64