There has been a significant increase in demand for STEM subjects among this year’s graduating school students.
Tens of thousands of students are receiving their first CAO offers of the year this afternoon.
Nearly 44,000 have been offered Honours Degree level courses, while nearly 31,000 were offered Ordinary Degree or Higher Certificate level courses.
Some 53% of students got their first choice - but Justin McGree from the Institute of Guidance Counselors told Newstalk that there are plenty of options available if you didn't.
“First port-of-call I suppose – the immediate deadline – is to review scripts; that is before tomorrow evening at 5pm.
“You can have a look at those and see if there are any appeals possible, if they are close to the cut-offs or close to the point cut-offs.
“There are Round 2 and Round 3 and subsequent round offers right into October.
“You can look at other options then like PLC courses and maybe there is an offer on a Level 6 or 7.
“You can look at apprenticeships; there is always employment – certainly no year is wasted year.”
STEM subjects
After the offers were published, Dublin City University said it had seen a “significant uplift in demand” for many of its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) degrees.
It said the interest has seen points rise for courses in its Faculty of Science and Health; however, they have remained steady in the main in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.
NUI Galway also recorded a rise in applications for STEM subjects with points rising for Civil Engineering, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Biopharmaceutical Chemistry and Energy Systems Engineering.
There was also a big increase in applications for all of its law programmes.
Meanwhile, Maynooth University said it expects to take in its highest ever number of students this year.
The college also saw strong interest in STEM subjects, with points rising in its BA Psychology, BSc in Biological and Biomedical Sciences and BSc Science with Education.
Offers
Applicants can check if they have received an offer using the ‘My Application’ facility at cao.ie.
CAO spokesperson Eileen Keleghan said student should carefully consider any offer they get.
“Applicants are reminded that if they receive a lower preference offer they 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 offer round if a place becomes available and they are deemed eligible,” she said.
“Those who have received an offer in this round should consider the current offer as being the only one they may receive.”
Results
The CAO said it is possible that some applicants will have received two offers – one ‘Level 8’ and one ‘Level 6 or 7.’ Applicants must choose and can only accept one offer.
The Leaving Cert results were published on Tuesday, with the State Exams Commission saying students had broadly done as well as their colleagues from last year.
Students have until 5:15pm on Friday August 23rd to decide whether to accept their college offer.
