College pressure: 2,500 more seek places

PRESSURE for college places could be up on many popular courses this summer with almost 2,500 more applicants for places this year.

The 61,961 course lists submitted to the Central Applications Office (CAO) up to last month’s deadline represent a 4% increase on this time last year.

National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth admissions officer John McGinnity said the figures indicate that perceptions that the points race was in a state of decline may have been inaccurate. “From an analysis of the applications, it appears that points may at least stay the same or be slightly higher, depending on demand for individual courses this year,” he said.