You can still get into college this September, even if you haven't previously filled out a CAO application!
This year’s Leaving Certificate students opened their results on August 21st and had to wait a week for their CAO offers on 26th August.
It is a tense time for students and their families, and the entire country seems to reminisce about the day they got their own results. The advice starts flowing. Nans say, “What’s for you won’t pass you.” The stories are the same every year, “Sure I didn’t get what I wanted, and it turned out grand!”
Nothing brings us together quite like the Leaving Certificate, possibly because it is one of the few truly shared experiences. Available Places on the other hand, is a CAO pathway often missing from the conversation. There are many people who do not even know about the facility.
This year's Available Places facility launches August 27th.
In all the madness that is reading results, calculating points, and hopefully celebrating afterwards, all students and their parents and guardians should make sure they know that the Available Places facility exists, as it could be the very thing that guides a student to their next educational step.
Understanding Available Places
Available Places is a facility that highlights courses that are still available across the country for CAO applicants. These are open to all candidates, who satisfy the minimum requirements for their chosen course, removing them from the heat of the points race.
Check the list below to see if you might be joining National College of Ireland this year!
- NC020 BA Hons in Marketing Practice
- NC025 BSc Hons in Data Science
- NC030 BA Hons in Early Childhood Education and Care
- NC102 Higher Certificate in Computing
- NC103 Higher Certificate in Business
- NC105 Higher Certificate in Data Science
Who can apply for Available Places?
If you have already applied to the CAO this year but have not accepted any of the courses you were offered, then you can submit an Available Places application free of charge. You can also make an Available Places application if you haven't applied to the CAO before now for a fee of €50. Applicants must meet the normal minimum entry requirements for their selected Available Places course.
When are applications open?
The Available Place facility is open now! Keep an eye on the CAO website for any updates.
How can I apply for a place?
The Available Places application procedure is similar to the Change of Mind procedure. However, except for courses in which available places have been advertised, you may not re-order your original course choices. Log in to your application using 'My Application' and click on 'Add Level 8 Available Place Course' or 'Add Level 7/6 Available Place Course' as appropriate and follow instructions.
Why NCI amplifies Available Places
NCI’s mission is to “change lives through education.” As the College celebrates its 75th anniversary, we are reflecting the may ways NCI continues to make education accessible to all, so that students can pursue pathways that will lead them to satisfying careers. Having options can be lifechanging, and it is important to make students aware of the options available to them: you cannot take a path if you don't know it exists!
The Leaving Certificate can be a very challenging time, and we are aware that not every student is thrilled on results day. For all that the country comes together to reassure students that their results don’t define them and that things always have a way of working out, in the moment if you are disappointed it can feel as though all doors have closed.
National College of Ireland amplifies Available Places each year so that hopefully students who may not have been aware of the facility before can see that there are options to be explored after results day and even if you do not have an existing CAO application: some students may even find themselves pursuing a course they had not previously considered.
When options expand, lives expand too. Do not miss out on Available Places, the perfect place could be right there waiting for you!