Students, take time to fully assess CAO round one offers

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025 - 18:30

Jess Casey, Education Correspondent

This week marks another significant milestone for the Class of 2025, as the first round of college place offers are issued through the CAO.

On Wednesday, the Central Applications Office (CAO) issued 86,098 Round One Offers to 59,201 CAO applicants.

These offers included 54,256 Level 8 courses and 31,842 Level 7/6 courses.

For those who have received an offer through Round One, congratulations.

“It’s a massive milestone really, in any young person’s life,” said Marian Roche, a career and life coach (@The TheGuidanceGeek).

“It’s natural to feel daunted,” she added. “Now is a good time to start bringing in your support network; parents, guardians or friends.”

If you choose to accept your offer, it might be worthwhile visiting the campus of your college before your start date to assess logistics such as transport or accommodation, and to familiarise yourself with the campus.

“Start focusing on getting the logistics in place once you are happy with your course. Feeling comfortable on campus before you start and ensuring that you have that support network around you.”

Marian Roche, a career and life coach (@The TheGuidanceGeek).

Students may find themselves wondering if they should accept their second or third choice, if they did not receive their first preference.

“It’s really important to remember how the CAO system works,” Marian said.

“They are asked to choose courses in genuine order of preference. If you receive your second choice, you might be offered your first choice at a later date, but only if a space becomes available and you’re deemed eligible.”

“There’s absolutely no guarantee that will happen. It’s best to accept your offer and weigh it up. Ask yourself if you are happy to go to that college, are you happy to study that course, and prepare to enroll in that course. If a space becomes available, then the CAO will alert you.”

She also recommends getting tailored advice. A free Leaving Cert helpline will open again this Saturday, August 30, from 10am to 2pm. Call 1800 265 165 or text GUIDANCE to 086 1800 685.

Keep in mind that accepting a lower preference offer in an earlier offer round does not prevent you from receiving another in a subsequent round of a course higher up on your choices list if you are later deemed eligible.

Often, students may be afraid to accept their second choice offer. “They really, really want their first choice,” she explained.

Marian said: “If you are dead set on your first choice, I would be ensuring that you have researched if you can get to that career using a Level 7, or a tertiary degree, or a PLC of if there’s a post-grad in once you have the under-grad done. It’s about getting all the information first. There’s a lot to weigh up first, and disappointment is natural.”

This time of year can be very overwhelming, when it comes to keeping track of dates, such as reply dates for offers and official registration.

“Students need to be aware of communication from the CAO and from the higher education institutions. There’s a lot of stress, it’s an accumulation of a whole lot of workload, and dates can be missed. Just be aware of all that communication coming in, and maybe that’s something the support network can help keep an eye on that as well.”

In the coming weeks, if a student starts a course, and very early on realises they are unhappy, they should talk to someone as soon as possible.

“If they are having doubts, it’s best to speak with your course director and their support network as quickly as possible.

“It’s always worthwhile talking to someone like the course director, maybe a guidance counsellor, or a careers department in the college about how you are feeling,” Marian said. “Maybe it’s a settling-in issue, or maybe you don’t like the content or the modules.”

Colleges regularly deal with such queries from new students and should be able to assist.

Another common question she receives this time of year is about deferring a place. “Maybe something is going on in their personal life, or they need to take a year out or something has come up for them.”

The CAO advises any student who wishes to defer, to not accept the offer they receive and to instead email the admissions office of the college immediately with the reasons for the request.

In your email, give your name as it appears on your CAO application, and include your CAO application number as well as the course code of the offer you wish to defer, and the reason for your request.

“You need to contact the admissions office as soon as possible,” Marian remarked, adding that granting a deferral is a decision for the relevant college.

“Its not a guarantee that they will defer the place. My main advice overall would be to seek advice from the professionals.

“It’s so natural to feel disappointment if you haven’t received what you wanted. Take a little space to acknowledge that disappointment and then ask yourself what’s Plan B? Can we get to where we wanted to go in a different way?”

Round Two offers will be issued to students on Monday, September 8, and Round Three will be issued on Tuesday, September 16.

Offers are set to continue until Round Five, which will be issued to students from Tuesday, September 30.

Round One offers must be accepted by by 3:00 pm on Tuesday, September 2.

Eileen Keleghan, head of communications for CAO, asks students to carefully consider any offers received in this round.

“One of the common queries that we receive at the offers stage is around order of preference,” she said.

“Applicants who receive a lower preference offer can accept this offer, and it will not prevent them from receiving an offer of a course higher up on their courses list in a later round should a place become available, and they are deemed eligible.”