Over 1,000 fresh applications for CAO courses

More than 1,000 people have made fresh applications for third-level college courses in the past week.

While just over 900 were already registered this year with the Central Applications Office (CAO), 127 new applicants have put in a bid to get on to a course.

By last night’s deadline, 39,132 of the 52,374 people who received offers of a place last week had accepted, and a much smaller second round of offers is due on Thursday.

However, the option also opened up last week through the CAO’s website to apply for a course listed as having places available.

This allows existing CAO applicants to add one of those courses to their list of preferences and to be considered for entry in this week’s Round 2 offers. But anyone who had not already applied this year can also do so for a €40 fee.

By yesterday morning, there were over 200 courses with places still available, and 40% were honours (level 8) degree programmes at some of the 39 colleges used by CAO to fill their courses this year.

The new applicants to these courses are now in the mix for the consideration of the next stage of offers.

However, as in other years, the numbers receiving an offer on Thursday morning are expected to be quite low. With over 39,300 people taking up first-round offers a year ago, for example, less than 2,600 offers issued in Round 2.

Just over half of those were on level 8 courses, and the remaining 1,100 were places on ordinary degree (level 7) and higher certificate (level 6) programmes.

With a slight increase in the number of places offered in Round 1 last week, there was a fall in the minimum CAO points needed for just over half of all level 8 courses, and points remained the same as last year for almost another 10%.

For the small proportion of courses that will offer a place to some applicants on Thursday, patterns from previous years suggest any fall in points since last week is likely to be minimal.

Just like in Round 1, some people could get two offers, one each from their level 8 and level 7/6 course lists. When offers were issued eight days ago by CAO, over 24,000 people received two but they had to choose which one they wished to accept, meaning a place on the other may now be offered this week to someone else.

Students who are considering an appeal on one or more of their Leaving Certificate grades have the chance on Friday and Saturday to view their marked exam paper, if they applied last week to do so. Appeals must be submitted to the State Examinations Commission by September 6.

The cut-off points for courses, in which CAO Round 2 offers are made, will appear in this Thursday’s Irish Examiner.