It’s make your mind up time on college courses

THOUSANDS of Leaving Cert, overseas and mature students are still making up their minds on college courses ahead of the Central Applications Office closing date on Saturday.

About 90% of applicants make their decision in the week before the closing date every year, and this year appears to be no different.

It is expected that more than half the 60,000-plus applications will be made on the internet this year as potential third-level students take advantage of the cao’s website, www.cao.ie.

“People seem to be getting the message about applying online being the better way to do it,” said a CAO spokesperson.

We ended up with 22,000 applications online last year and we hope the final figure will be well in excess of that this year,” the spokesperson added. The CAO’s Galway offices will be closed on Saturday, but the spokesperson said post arriving on Monday morning will be accepted.

However, the online application system will close down automatically at 5.15pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the institute of technology sector has expressed concern about last week’s Irish Farmers’ Journal survey on university access.

The survey listed schools by the percentage of their Leaving Cert students who went on to the Republic’s seven universities.

Dr Mary Meaney, chair of the Council of Directors of the country’s 13 ITs, said it might have given the impression that a university place was the only option for those wishing to pursue studies in higher education.

“In 2002, 19,000 first-year students entered an institute of technology, slightly more than those who began university.

“Over 25% of CAO applicants list an institute degree course as their first choice and the sector is the highest preference of 85% for certificate and diploma courses,” she said. Dr Meaney said location was also a strong factor influencing all school leavers in their CAO choices.