With the February 1 CAO deadline just around the corner, the focus of attention this week must be on restricted entry courses. These are courses that must be included on the initial CAO application and cannot be added after the February 1 closing date, other than medicine which has an earlier deadline of January 20, to allow for the taking of the HPAT test.
The majority of restricted entry courses fall broadly into a range of categories such as creative, dramatic, visual media, art, music, and architectural courses. These courses require a further assessment procedure in the form of an interview or portfolio for entry on to the course.
The key consideration is to ensure your chosen course is on your CAO application well in advance of the February 1 deadline so that your own preparation for the assessment is in hand. Taking this into account now should help with time and study management over the next few months.
In addition to the restricted entry courses, HEAR and DARE applicants are advised to indicate their intention to apply for those schemes. The HEAR scheme is applicable to students overcoming socio-economic disadvantage and the DARE scheme applies to students with a disability or illness. Both schemes assist students with access to third level, with the provision of a small number of allocated places on reduced points and ensure access to learning and support services while at third level.
If you would like any further information on these matters or to consider your course options either for this year or next year contact Connie Kelly, career advisor, at 085 282 4445.
