Here are some key dates and tips to keep in mind.
Key Dates:
| 1st February (17:15) | Normal closing date for applications. |
| 5th February (12:00) | Online facility to amend course choices becomes available (€10 Fee) |
| Before 15th February | Paper Applicants will be sent a Statement of Course Choices. A Statement of Course Choices is NOT sent to Online Applicants. |
| Before 15th May | Late Paper Applicants will be sent a Statement of Course Choices. |
| Before End of May | Statement of Application Record sent to all applicants (online and paper). |
| 18th August(expected date) | Round 1 offers issued – Applicants who have not received an offer will receive another Statement of Application Record. |
| 27th August(expected date) | Round 2 offers issued |
| September to 15th October | Offers are issued by CAO as necessary to fill any vacancies that may arise |
| 15th October | Offer Season Ends |
Top tips when filling out your CAO
- Apply online, if you can. It will save you money and is also less prone to errors (it will not allow applicants to make mistakes by entering a course code that does not exist).
- Always get someone to go over your application before you submit it (paper or online). If you are using the paper submission, make sure you take a photograph of your submission to have as a copy.
- Make sure to complete your submission as early as possible to ensure you don’t miss the deadline on account of your computer crashing at the last minute, or from forgetting about it on account of the stress of the mock examinations. Dedicate at least a full hour to the completion of the form, to make sure you are happy with it, and that it is error free.
- Fill out all twenty slots on the CAO, making sure to put your course choices in order of preference. It is very important that you put what you really want to do first and not what you think what you may or may not get the points for.
- Make sure you have at least one low-points option as a fallback.
- Familiarise yourself with the full entry requirements of the courses you are applying for (languages/results needed etc.).
- Keep in mind the “Change of Mind” facility. This is available after May 1st until July 1st.
- Check out the DARE and HEAR schemes to see whether you are eligible.
Information retrieved from http://www.clevercourses.ie/cao-applications-2014/#more-8351