Information Session for Parents Sutton Park School 2009

1. www.cao.ie Information Session for Parents Sutton Park School 2009

2. Dates and fees January 20th Online Discount €35 February 1st Normal application €45 May 1 Late online €70 July 1st Closing change of mind Free!

3. Application Form • Part A(Pages 1 & 2)Sufficient for most Irish Applicants • Part B (Pages 3 & 4)Must be completed by non standard applicants • Includes information about any learning difficulties, other qualifications and for mature students

4. Application Form • Page 1 Personal Data Signature Date • Page 2 Selection of Courses

5. Qualifications • Three levels of Certification • Level 6 Higher Certificate (formerly Cert) • Level 7 Ordinary Degree (formerly Dip) • Level 8 Honours Degree • Students choose courses in order of preference • Maximum of ten courses may be chosen from each list

6. Applying on -line • Follow instructions on screenwww.cao.ie • Choose courses in order of preference • Choose method of payment Credit card / Fee Payment Form • Submit choices • Always print receipt and note application number

7. Restricted Application Courses Assessment procedures for these courses including art, drama, film and also medicine. Clearly identified in the handbook Must be included in CAO Form by February 1st

8. Application to Medicine from 2009 • Must apply by February 1st on CAO (5:15pm) • Using CAO number, then apply to sit HPAT test. www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au. Closing date also Feb 1st (23:59). Cost €95 • Test date27th February– venues in Dublin and elsewhere. Advised to book centre early! • Test 2.5 hours long in 3 sections – logical reasoning/ interpersonal understanding and non-verbal reasoning

9. Medicine applications • Results issued late June 2009 • Maximum score 300, students will also be given a percentile score to give them an indication of how well they performed against other candidates. • Must also achieve a minimum of 480 in Leaving Cert exams AND minimum entry requirements. • Any student achieving over 550 will be awarded 1 point for every 5 CAO point. i.e. Student achieving 560 will be given Medicine rating of 552. Max score of 600 points becomes 560. • Results of HPAT and Leaving Cert then added together. Maximum possible score 860. • Normal allocation of places then takes place, with students ranked highest being given places. • (top 15 %)

10. Application Process • Phase 1 – November until February 1stApply and change your mind as often as you like, free of charge. • Phase 2 – February 1st – March 1stYou may amend details and course choices but will pay €10 penalty • Phase 3 – March 1st – April 30thInterviews and assessments usually scheduled • Phase 4 – May 1st – July 1stChange of mind, free of charge

11. Alternative routes • Medicine / Physiotherapy – Science 325 – 425 points, then post graduate programme • Law – variety of degrees for Blackhall place. For kings Inn law is ideal – or 2 years diploma req. (arts, private colleges) • Business / marketing – entry at level 6 /7 (330) in DIT and progress through to level 8 (410*) • FETAC route – many linked programmes, nursing, art, business, social science, science

12. Offer Stage • Leaving Certificate results – mid Aug (possibly Wednesday 11th) • Round One Offers – Monday 16th August • Each list separate. Can accept on-line. • Can only move up, never down the list • Can accept or ignore subsequent offers

14. How Places are Allocated • When examination results are released in August they are entered into the CAO computer. • The computer checks each applicant’s results. For each course the applicant has applied for, the computer first determines if the applicant has the minimum entry requirements for the course.

15. How Places are Allocated • If the applicant meets the minimum entry requirements for the course, the applicant’s points are calculated for this course choice. • All eligible applicants are then placed in a list, in order of the points they achieved, for each course that they applied for.

16. How Places are Allocated • The colleges then tell CAO how many places are to be offered on each course • CAO then makes offers to the required number of applicants on each course starting with the applicant with the highest points and working down until enough places have been offered.

17. These are the applicants for CK101 (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.

18. 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 her position in the queue for each course she applied to.

19. The applicants marked in green have enough points to be offered places. The applicant marked in red has enough points for her second preference.

20. The applicant in red is offered her second preference, the highest preference course that she has enough points for, and she will now disappear from the queue in all her lower choices.

21. Normally given 10 days to accept the offer but very important to check the deadline date given with the offer. • If offered Level 8 and Level 6/7 offer, accepting one automatically rejects the other. • You may never receive another offer from the CAO so think very carefully before rejecting the offer. • Accepting or rejecting an offer will have no effect on your higher course choices.

22. In the Second round of offers three more offers are made on CK101 and our applicant, who was second in line, now receives an offer. She may do nothing and remain in DN201 or she may accept the offer and begin in CK101.

23. GenuineOrder 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.

24. Errors made when selecting courses • Students list courses in order of points instead of preference • Student underestimate / overestimate Leaving Certificate results • Poor research into coursesCollege literature /Open Days

25. Errors made when selecting courses • Some students target low point courses in hope of getting College place • Not considering courses outside certain geographic area • Some target Level 8 courses only and ignore Level 7 & 6 courses Ladder of Opportunity

26. Ladder of Opportunity • Institutes of Technology offer four year degree programmes which can be studied in stages Higher Certificate Two years (level 6) Ordinary Degree + One year (level 7) Honours Degree + One year (level 8)

27. Life Outside CAO • Check for vacant places www.cao.ie • Private Colleges • PLC - Post Leaving Courses • UK – www.ucas.com

28. UCAS • UCAS is the UK equivalent of the CAO • WWW. UCAS.COM • All applications must be made online • All communication is electronic – e.g. via website and email

29. DEADLINES • Applying to Oxford OR Cambridge to study anything – 15th October • Applying to study Medicine; Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry – 15th October • Everything else – January 15th

30. Before Applying • www.ucas.ac.uk • Pick courses – huge choice • Be familiar with a longer application system • Pick a referee • Prepare a personal statement • Register – Suttonpark is buzzword

31. UCAS Points Honours Ordinary A1 – 90 A1 - 39 A2 – 77 A2 - 26 B1 – 71 B1 - 20 B2 – 64 B2 - 14 B3 – 58 B3 - 7 C1 - 52 C2 - 45 C3 - 39 D1 - 33 D2 - 26 D3 - 20

32. Choices • Applying for Medicine, Vet Medicine and Dentistry – 4 choices • You can apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both (plus additional application form) • Everything else – 6 choices (but remember the one personal statement has to cover all the options)

33. Application contd. • 5 Sections for you to complete:CoursesAbout YouEducationStatementEmployment • 2 more sections for school to complete: Reference – you will not seePredicted grades – you will not see

34. Aptitude assessments for UK • BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)For entry to medicine and veterinary schools. • English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)For entry to English courses at the University of Oxford. • Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)For entry into medicine. • History Aptitude Test (HAT)For entry to modern history and a joint honours degrees involving modern history at the University of Oxford. • Health Professions Admissions Test (HPAT)For entry to certain medical courses at the University of Ulster. • The National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)For entry to law. • Modern and Medieval Languages Test (MML)For entry to modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge. • Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP)For entry to mathematics at the University of Cambridge. • Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Cambridgeor) For entry to computer science, natural sciences, engineering and economics at the University of Cambridge. • Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Oxford) • formerly known as the PPE Admissions TestFor entry to the philosophy, politics and economics, and the economics and management courses at the University of Oxford. • UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) For entry to medical and dental schools

35. Offers and Interviews • After applying you may be called by the college for an interview (not always) • Following this you may receive either:Conditional Offer (i.e. you can have the place if you achieve certain grades)Unsuccessful application

36. Managing your offer • If you receive more than one conditional offer you will have to choose which is your most preferred option • This becomes your “FIRM ACCEPTANCE” • You may also hold a “INSURANCE ACCEPTANCE” which is another offer which requires lower grades.

37. UCAS and CAO • UCAS and CAO do not communicate to each other • What you choose to apply to and accept offers from has no effect on your CAO application • FIRM or INSURANCE acceptance does not mean that you have to go to UK – you can always decline the offer at a later time

38. Post Leaving Certificate Courses Large variety of courses • Business • Art/Design • Multimedia • Beauty Therapy • Insurance/Banking • Travel/Tourism • Social Care

39. Post Leaving Certificate Courses • Good, recognised qualification • Also may allow students to go onto Degree courses in colleges based on their performance • Should apply March/April / May directly to the PLC

40. Ideal scenario! In August 2010 students should have many options – including; • Level 8 honours degree • Level 6 / 7 ordinary degree • Fetac (back up) course • UCAS offer

41. Retention Rate in College Non Completion of Courses Universities 17% Colleges of Technology 37% Reasons • Lack of preparation - insufficient research into course choice • Poor choice of course - course chosen was often only course open to student given points rating

42. Dos /Don’ts of CAO Applications • Do choose ten options if at all possible • Do not ignore the Level 6/7 route • Do not target low point courses in hope of getting to College

43. Dos / Don’ts contd. • Do not depend totally on getting your 1st or 2nd choice - You may be offered your 4th / 5th choice - Be prepared for this! • Do make sure you have other options if you do not get your preferences • Check Alert Lists on CAO website – 195 courses cancelled and 95 new courses introduced since booklet printed.

44. Significant dates during Offer Stage • Return form to view scripts – Wednesday 18th August • Viewing of Scripts Weekend of 27/28 August Only the candidate and one person who accompanies her can view the script! Don’t be on holidays!