Q&A: Here's what you need to know about today's CAO offers

Students will be able to view first-round offers online from 2pm on Thursday. Picture: iStock

More than 80,000 people who applied for college places through the Central Applications Office (CAO) will find out if they have received offers in the first round later today.

At 2pm, offers will be available to view online.

Here are some of the main questions students might have as they await their offers.

Will grade inflation impact the CAO this year?

The short answer is yes. But a longer answer will be we won’t really know the extent of it until the results come out. The Leaving Cert results which came out last week had received a “post-marking adjustment” to ensure the class of 2022 did no worse than last year’s class.

But, last year’s class had seen huge grade inflation compared to pre-pandemic years, which led to much higher points requirements for popular courses. With results on par with last year, we are likely to see fierce competition again, with the possibility of even very high achievers missing out on their chosen course if demand is high.

Last year, four courses had first-round cut-off points of 625, the maximum number of CAO points, for which college places were determined by random selection, meaning not every student who received these points received an offer this round.

What do I do if I receive the offer I want?

Well, absolutely you should accept it. You have until next Wednesday, September 14, at 3pm to accept it.

After you have accepted, you will receive an email from the CAO, and the college will contact you directly about registration.

What happens if I receive the offer of a college place, but it’s not the one I want, and I don’t want to accept it?

If you are sure this offer is for a college place that you absolutely do not want, you do not need to accept it. You don’t need to take any further action, and your name will remain on the waiting list for any courses higher up on your list of preferences.

What do I do if I don’t receive an offer today?

The first thing to do is not to panic. If you don’t have an offer now, you could get one in the next round. Round 2 offers issue on September 19. Another thing to consider is the Available Place facility, where colleges that have places unfilled in particular courses list vacancies. That opens on Friday, and you can register with the CAO for that.

What if I want to defer my place?

The CAO states clearly that you do not accept your offer. Instead, you must email the admissions office of the appropriate college immediately, with all the instructions on what to say available on page 28 of the CAO’s handbook for 2022, which is online.