Tough competition among this year’s CAO applicants will see applicants for 23 courses facing a lottery to win their places.
Random selection will be used for some of the most sought-after courses in Ireland – including some that require the highest points possible.
It means that students who achieved up to 625 points to qualify for the likes of dentistry in Trinity or economics and finance in UCD are not guaranteed a place.
The CAO issued 83,369 offers this morning, with 56% of applicants receiving their first preference course and 83% securing one of their top three choices.
Of the 31,435 level 7/6 course offers made today, 28,781 were the applicant’s first choice, and 99% received a top three pick.
Grade inflation
There has been further grade inflation this year, as the State Examinations Commission increased grades by an average of 7.5%, with increases ranging from 4.8% to 12.1%.
Education Minister Norma Foley told Newstalk last week that grade inflation would be reversed in the coming years – and insisted the system would be ‘fair’ to the next round of students.
“It will be determined by the State Examinations Commission,” she said.
“Over time, gradually, we would return to the pre-COVID experience.
“I have been clear in the interest of fairness, it would be a very slow, small decline over a number of years.”
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Of the CAO offers issued today, 7,365 were to mature students – those aged over 23 years old.
Northern Ireland and Great Britain applicants received 1,942 offers - and 9,290 offers were made to those presenting exams other than the Leaving Cert.
Careful consideration
CAO spokesperson Eileen Keleghan advised applicants to consider their offers carefully.
“One of the common queries that we receive at the offer stage is around ‘order of preference,’” she said.
“Applicants who receive a lower preference offer can accept this offer and it will not prevent them from receiving an offer of a course higher up on their courses list in a later round should a place become available and they are deemed eligible.
“Those who have received an offer in this round should also consider the current offer carefully as it may be the only one they will receive.”
The CAO’s second round of offers will be available online from 2pm on September 9th.
Main image: Student's doing their Leaving Cert. Image: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie
