It is very important now that you have completed all your Leaving Cert exams that you revisit your course choices before the deadline on July 1.
Many students have made their course choices as far back as January and may have done so without sufficient thought and research. It is not too late to now look back to see if there are any changes to be made with regard to your personal choices, personal circumstances and maybe financial considerations.
This is always a worthwhile exercise. As you have now completed a very focused year which was geared towards study, achieving your goals and, for anyone using the CAO, to further their education points as well. Very often there can be more focus on points than actual college and career choices.
At this stage in the process it’s too late to consider “restricted courses”; those are courses which back in March/April required either an interview, portfolio of work, supplementary information, Hpat for medicine etc. However all other courses within the CAO system are still available if you wish to now change your course choices through the “change of mind” process.
Deciding to go to college can be a very stressful experience for some parents and children because of the financial implications of their decision. You need to consider the cost of accommodation, food and travel expenses for every year of your study. For most students you are looking at four years. That is why now is a very good time to revisit your choices, sometimes taking a year out might be a very wise choice. You grow up and get more mature following your Leaving Cert year. You are not as pressurised or influenced by your peers, and for this reason alone you can make more informed choices. It is also a very good time to talk to someone who has just completed their first year in the college/course that you are now seriously considering. The reason I say seriously considering is that in order to be sure that you are on the correct path you need to have researched the course and college thoroughly in order to avoid the possibility of dropping out.
You can change your course choices without having to pay a fee, the deadline is July 1 at 5pm so it is just around the corner!
It is important to be aware that if you do change your course choices it cancels out all previous choices that you have made. However, if you have applied for Level 8 courses and also Level 7/6 courses they are two separate applications. For example, if you wish to change Level 8 courses only, your Level 7/6 choices will remain the same and will not be affected.
How do I use the Change of Mind facility?
To change course choices, log in to your CAO account via the My Application facility and click on Change Level 8 Course Choices or Change Level 7/6 Course Choices. You can then use the New Courses list to enter new courses, disregard existing course choices, or re-enter your existing course selection. You must list all of your courses in your order of preference on the new list. If you change courses online, an acknowledgement will be sent to your email address, please check this email carefully and inform CAO of any errors or omissions. You should also check that your courses have been updated by using the My Application facility before 5pm on July 1. It’s very important that you put the course that you really want as your number 1 choice, do not be guided by courses which require very high points even if you feel that you will achieve those very high points.
At the end of the day courses are always allocated based on supply and demand. Put the course which you really want to study as your number one regardless of the number of points required. In other words, have your courses listed in preference order and not points order.
Make sure to double check that there are no errors or omissions as it is going to be too late after July 1. Make sure that you have the correct entry requirements, for example, that you have the subject requirements and at the correct level.
Other considerations
Is your exam number correct? This can actually cause you not to receive an offer regardless of the number of points you received in your Leaving Cert. The CAO needs to be able to match the student’s names with the exam number. If you applied for a language exemption, make sure that this has been acknowledged on your CAO application. Has your place of residence changed? Has your phone number changed or has your email changed? All of this information needs to be correct. Sometimes students forget to update their personal information if it changed since they made their original application. Do not assume, always check.
