College race on as students try to beat CAO deadline

Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

At least two-thirds of around 60,000 people expected to apply this year will have done so through the CAO website.

"We had more than 11,000 online applications over the weekend and quite a lot of post arrived this morning," a CAO spokesman said yesterday.

"If anybody hasn't applied by Tuesday morning, it will be too late to send one by post. But we strongly advise making an online application, it is cheaper and easier to avoid mistakes anyway," he said.

An application on www.cao.ie costs E30 but the fee will double to E60 after the deadline passes this evening. On paper the normal fee is E40, rising to E80 after the deadline.

Applicants can change their choice of courses with a change-of-mind form up to July 1.

After 5.15pm today, late applicants must pay an additional fee and will not be eligible for courses with entry restrictions.

With Leaving Certificate results due in schools on Wednesday, August 17, the first round of CAO offers should be available online the following Monday, August 22.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has revealed that 54% of the 46,158 people who received third-level awards in 2003 had jobs within nine months of graduating. This is a rise of 3% on the previous year and includes an increased proportion of graduates working in Ireland. They account for 49% of 2003 graduates, while those in employment overseas fell slightly to 5%.

Numbers seeking work rose overall by 1% to 4% compared to a year earlier, but fell by 1% to 3% among primary degree holders.

HEA chief executive Tom Boland said although the results are positive, they leave no room for complacency.

"Ireland still ranks at only average levels in OECD terms for graduation rates, and poorly in terms of post-graduate graduation well below those key 'knowledge economies' which are our direct competitors," he said.