CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time

The CAO issued 3,370 offers to applicants as part of Round Two of the CAO offers process on Monday. File picture: Stanley Morales/Pexels

Almost 1,230 students who did not receive an offer of a college place last month have on Monday been offered a course by the Central Applications Office (CAO).

It has today issued 3,370 offers to applicants as part of Round Two of the CAO offers process. Of this, 1,226 students are receiving an offer for the first time.

With Level 8 offers, 1,050 students (44%) received an offer of their first preference course. Students who received an offer in this round will have until Wednesday, September 10, at 3pm to accept.

CAO head of communications Eileen Keleghan said applicants should carefully consider their options. Many of the applicants receiving a second round offer today may have already accepted an offer in Round One, she added.

“It is important that they take the time to decide between these courses and inform CAO before the reply date of this Wednesday, September 10, at 3pm, if they wish to accept the new offer.”

“Accepting the new offer will automatically cancel a previous acceptance.” 

If this is an applicant’s first offer, they can choose to accept this offer, and this will not prevent them from receiving a higher preference course in a later offer round if they are deemed eligible.

However, Ms Keleghan added: 

It is important to note, however, that most offers have been issued at this stage and this may be the only offer that they will receive.

For those who have been unsuccessful in receiving an offer, there are many options, she said.

These include further education courses, apprenticeship schemes, re-applying through CAO next year or repeating the Leaving Certificate.

“The Available Places facility also has approximately 140 courses advertised, and some additional offers will be issued on a weekly basis from today until early October,” she added.