Applications to the CAO portal are open. Making sure you follow the process properly and correctly is very important. The list that you make will decide the college you end up going to, so it really is important.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, CAO procedures, deadlines, and requirements may change from year to year. This article does not replace official guidance or instructions from the Central Applications Office. This is based on my experience!
In this article, I will share important deadlines, how I made my CAO application, how to choose your colleges, and, in the end, share some notes (free ones too) that will hopefully help you get the points you need!
What are the important deadlines?
The CAO opened on the 5th of November.
You can avail of the discounted application fee of €35 if you apply before 20th January, 17:00. I highly recommend to get your application in before this.
The normal closing date for applications is 1st February.
You can amend course choices from 5th Feb to 1st March (for a fee of €10).
Important: You can change your list for free as well, from 5th May to 1st July.
The entire table of important dates can be found at the CAO’s official website.
Advice: I got my application made in early January. I made a list of colleges and courses I thought I was happy with. I made a couple of changes around the end of June, too.
Don’t procrastinate the application process.
How to choose your colleges?
Choosing the right college for you is just as important as choosing the right course. You will most likely be spending at least the next 3, 4 or 5 years here. You want to make the right decision.
The best way to learn about the different colleges is to attend their open days.
I ended up choosing University College Dublin (UCD) because I loved UCD’s vibes. I attended their open day, and UCD felt like a fun place to learn, with excellent teaching staff and quality resources too.
How to choose your course?
Again, choosing the right course for you is very important. Here are some dos and don’ts.
Do
- Choose on genuine interest
- Research the course content in each college properly
- Consider career, not just first job title
Don’t
- Choose a course based on friends
- Choose a course just because it has high points, so surely it’s good
- Choose a course because the career pathway pays highly
To help you make the right decision, we have written a full article on How to decide what course you should take in college.
How to decide the order of colleges and courses in the CAO?
Golden rule: Rank your choices based on personal preference, not points.
It’s important to have a rough idea of what the points in each choice looks like, but remember, points are not fixed. Just because a course required 535 points last year, doesn’t mean that will be the case this year.
Choose on preference.
That being said, do have fall-backs too. I, personally, left the last 3 out of 10 spots on my list for lower point courses. These were still courses I was interested in, though.
Careers portal is a great resource to help with the points of courses and figuring out requirements.
Make sure to know the requirements of each course
Different courses have different requirements. Before putting it on your CAO, make sure you meet the requirements.
For example, some courses require you to do 2 sciences or study a foreign language. Make sure to thoroughly research these requirements.
Should you apply to level 7 courses too?
Most people tend to apply only to level 8 courses. I wanted a level 8 course. However, I still applied to two level 7 courses as well.
You want to have as many fallback options as possible.
Changing the course order
As I mentioned earlier, I changed my course order after the LC (before the last deadline of July 1st).
I did this because I did some more research on the courses, and had a change of mind. Not because I was scared I wouldn’t get the points.
Don’t change courses based on fear. More often than not, with me anyway, you’ll perform better than you think.
Common mistakes to avoid
Here’s a list of some very common mistakes. This is a little summary of the article, too!
- Not filling out all 10 options
- Ranking by points instead of preference
- Missing deadlines
- Ignoring level 7 courses
- Not checking specific course requirements
- Changing the course order based on fear
Notes to help you get the points you need
1) Personal responses (analysis) to the following poems:
- “Hope” is the thing with feathers
- I felt a Funeral, in my Brain
- There’s a certain Slant of light
- I heard a Fly buzz – when I died
- A Bird came down the Walk
- After great pain, a formal feeling comes
2) H1 answers to the following questions:
- LC 2024 (96% – official result corrected by SEC)
- LC 2022 (96% – corrected by my teacher)
1) Personal responses (analysis) to the following poems:
- The Lake Isle of Innisfree
- September 1913
- Easter 1916
- An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
- Sailing to Byzantium
2) H1 answers to the following questions:
- LC 2022 (H1)
- Mock Question 1 (H1)
- Mock Question 2 (H1)
3) Bonus: Introduction to studying W.B. Yeats – his background, motivations, and influences for his poetry.
Sample H1 Answers – QA Notes
- LC 2016 – Text 2 (H1 answer with text annotated and in-depth analysis)
- LC 2021 – Text 1 (only first two parts of Q)
- LC 2021 – Text 3 – H1
- LC 2023 – Text 3 – H1
- Detailed feedback and analysis for each answer
I’m obviously biased, but I feel these notes are worth it. Also, if you buy the notes and feel unsatisfied, you can return them within 7 days too!
And, do check out the free notes on Dickinson. There’s no reason not to.
Conclusion
The CAO is super important. Don’t procrastinate it. Take time, and do thorough research.
Also, make sure to show this list to parents/guardians/teachers/well-wishers, and take their feedback too. Don’t struggle by yourself. It’s a big decision.
Hopefully, this helped slightly!
