Guidance gurus advise what to do if you miss your top CAO choice
Seek expert advice: Insufficient guidance and research before applying for a college course raises the likelihood of students choosing the wrong course in third level. Picture: iStock
Students who miss out on their top CAO choice can really benefit from some specialised advice at this time of year, according to Marian Roche, career and life coach (@The TheGuidanceGeek).
"Some individualised advice, to really look at what options are available to you. It's best to seek advice because maybe by doing an alternative course, or looking at postgraduate studies, afterwards you might still get to where you want to go. It just might take that little bit longer for you.”
It can be difficult to know where to start.
Some students may not have been happy with their results and may be considering appealing a grade.
"There are several important factors to keep in mind when considering this option," Ms Roche said. "You do have an option to review and appeal your subjects and your results on the Candidate Self Service Portal.
“Just be aware, if you do engage with a recheck, the grades can move up or down, and that might end up affecting your Leaving Cert results points total," Ms Roche explained.
"Be conscious of that if you have been offered your first choice, that you have enough wiggle room between how many points you’ve gotten, and how many you might drop in a grade band.
“It can go up or down depending so its really important to maybe review it first, and to know if you are to appeal, that might potentially happen.”
If you didn’t get your first choice, you will be naturally disappointed. “It's ok to acknowledge that,” she said.
“Look at offer you have, and ask would you be happy with the course content? With the location of the course, do you feel like that course could get you where you want to be eventually? If that all lines up, then it will be a really good decision to accept that course.
“If that’s all a negative, then maybe you need to speak to a guidance counsellor and look at the different pathways and avenues.”
Some students may have received an offer of a course much further down their preference list than they would have liked.
Ms Roche advises students in this predicament to consider if this lower-preference choice still allows them a pathway into their preferred career, even if it takes slightly longer.
"Does your second-choice lead to postgraduate study that might get you into that career later on? Perhaps you might need to consider if there is a PLC course available for you. That might provide another alternative routeway into the course you are looking for.
“Best advice would be if you are happy with the courses, accept your second choice. If a place becomes available for your first choice, and the CAO deems you eligible, they will be in contact and will offer it to you.”
It is "absolutely not too late" to consider a PLC course if you haven't already, she added.
"Many will often open up again around the time of Leaving Cert results and CAO offers, but I would advise students to contact them quite quickly and have a discussion around what PLC course will be the best option for you.”
Another helpful resource in this regard is available on the CAO website under the QQI/FET section, she added.
"Where you can see what modules to study in a PLC course that will gain you access to a CAO course, and how it would work.”
Another scenario that students can face unexpectedly is the need to seek a deferral of their place, even though they have been offered their first choice.
"The best advice would to be to contact the institute as soon as soon as possible, requesting a deferral and making sure to include their CAO number and course title in the email, and their reason for seeking a deferral," Ms Roche said.
Sometimes students may also receive the necessary points, but miss a necessary requirement for their preferred course.
That is a really disappointing situation for a student," Ms Roche said.
“The best advice is that some institutions will offer second chance exams, in particular for maths.
“If they do offer it, you’re getting in contact with them straight away to seek advice.” Some students may be considering whether or not to repeat their Leaving Cert exams next year. It's a big decision.
Repeating the Leaving Cert may be the right decision for some students, believes guidance counsellor David Drury.
"But I would never advise somebody to repeat simply because they're disappointed on results day,” said Mr Drury. “It is a significant commitment, and students should ask themselves what will be different next year. They really need to evaluate and reflect on what went wrong. Were their study methods effective? Was their routine strong enough?
“Were there any personal circumstances that may have impacted their grades? Were they working a part-time job and maybe took on too many hours and it affected them? Were the appropriate supports available for them?”
These are important questions to consider carefully, he added. “It's more than just saying 'Oh, I’ll work harder next year’. There needs to be more of a plan than that. They really should consider what their motivation will be like."
“Are they okay with joining a new year group? Are there financial implications? Also, they need to be mindful of new prescribed texts, projects, and coursework. Those requirements could change so they need to be aware and to research how that might affect them.”
There may also be an alternative route available to their chosen career, Mr Drury added.
“Explore alternative routes before making the decision. For some students, repeating is the right choice, but for others, there may be another route that gets them to the same destination as repeating the Leaving Cert."
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