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THE REPLY DATE for the very first round of CAO offers has passed and offers for those applications have been processed.
The deadline was 5.15pm and the series of ‘Round A’ offers have been made.
Don’t worry, these offers don’t apply to the majority of students, but rather to mature applicants, applicants who have completed an Access course or those who may need to make visa arrangements.
As it stands, 8,243 such offers have been made with 5,194 (63%) acceptances.
The next round of offers will now come on 30 July. This is termed the ‘Round 0′ and again is more concerned with mature, deferred and grad entry medicine applicants.
Once the reply date has passed for these applicants, that being 6 August, all that will remain is for the main, and by far largest, round of offers which will be officially made on 17 August, with a reply date of 24 August.
The CAO have now officially released figures for what kind of subjects students are hoping to study.
So, without further ado, here are the statistics for what students have been picking on their application this year. These stats incorporate final choices made now that the change-of-mind deadline of 1 July has passed.
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As might be expected arts and social sciences dominate the choices for degree courses in terms of quantity with 26% of all choices, 414,000 of which were made. Business, science and engineering subjects are next most popular. In fact those four subjects account for 71% of choices.
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When it comes to first preferences, the rankings are broadly the same at the top end of the scale. Of a total of 70,006 degree choices, arts and social science account for 16,622 of those first preferences or 24%.
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For certificate / diploma courses, almost 183,000 choices were made. The trend for degree courses does not follow through here, with business, engineering and science courses easily the most popular for 2015. Arts courses finish in fourth in terms of overall choices.
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As regards first preferences for cert / diploma courses, again business, science and engineering are easily the most popular subjects. Of 46,978 choices made, these three account for 76%, or nearly 36,000 of those choices.
The amount of students applying for certain courses is one of the largest factors affecting how high (or low) the final points will be for that subject.
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Arts and social science the most popular? With the cost of 3rd level and post graduate degrees, I’m kinda surprised that so many applied for courses that probably require a masters to get a job after they qualify.
Without wanting to insult anyone, I’ve always been under the impression that a lot of people who choose arts courses – and indeed business courses – have chosen in the absence of knowing exactly what they want to do.
Not everyone of course – but for school leavers there’s so much pressure to chose something and who really knows what they want to do at 18?
If there’s anything to what I’m saying, then it points to a system that doesn’t work well.
I totally agree. I know lots of people that that business courses, and either didn’t finish it, or are working in a different field. I went to college in the boom, it was relatively cheap to go to college then, a lot cheaper than now. Leaving cert students had the impression that you had to go to college, even though college isn’t for everyone.
I don’t think business was ever intended as anything other than an introduction to a choice of professions. In the eighties an undergraduate UK business course was pretty much an amalgam of courses needed to get first year exemption from marketing, HR, purchasing or accountancy chartered institute professional exams. With a bit of social science and a dissertation thrown in to make it look more like something that belonged in a university.
I’m sticking with my Latin,I hear there’s lots of jobs in Latin America.
I’m always seeing ads in the paper looking for philosophers.
A breakdown would be nice. Arts, business, science and engineering are very broad terms that encompass numerous subjects whereas the law and architecture seem very specific. Of course they’re going to be outnumbered. I’d like to see what engineering fields are more popular as it gives an idea as to the durection this generation think the economy is going.
Don’t know why people are picking engineering as there are no jobs my son did engineering qualified 2 yrs ago & only 1 in his class got a job in engineering. What a waste of money. He has a job but cant get anything in engineering as can’t get experience & because he has no experience can’t get a job. A vicious circle.
It depends what sector of Engineering really. I can only speak for myself but there is currently a fairly large shortage of Electrical Engineers, when we were in college we were getting ads from companies sent directly to us by college email at least once a week looking for people from 3rd year on.
He did electronic engineering. He even offered to work FREE in 1 company on his days off to get experience & was told by the company if they took him on to work free then the other staff would go on strike. This company wanted people with experience. How can you get experience if no one will take you on.
You need to know someone in Ireland if you want a job somewhere. Its stupid but its becoming the norm more and more these days
Jobsbridge is a way for graduates to gain experience in their chosen discipline. It’s not ideal but you have to start somewhere. BTW engineering is a very good career choice. Lots of opportunities.
That is funny CAO, even jobs here have NO IRISH NEED APPLY and that is here written and unwritten now… But you can’t say that and even on the FAS jobseeking website they let you know who they want by saying that their workforce is totally Lithuanian, so what does that mean other than they only want Lithuanians. How can that appear on the FAS JOBSEEKING SITE THEN. I thought that stuff was illegal now?
George, the current consultant contract is about 100k a year, after a 6 year degree, and then 10-15 years of EWTD non compliant shifts. Plus then fellowships abroad-often unpaid. Don’t believe him kids.
Can someone explain to me… We used be told that the points for med and dent were so high becoz that’s what most people wanted. But they are the least preferred option above there….?
I don’t think it’s about what “most people wanted”. To some extent the high points are about demand and supply of places in this area – as well as other things of course.
very small number of places in those schools. Can’t understand why someone would want med as a job. all those years study for a thankless job looking at sick people. not to mention nursing those people are nuts entirely. bad money for a tough job. I just don’t get it.
Easy 500k per year, when fully qualified.
cos the points are so high for med/dentistry unless you’re have rich parents who will pay your way through other routes. its like how many students get all As in their subjects then work your way down. I’m not surprised those stats are like that. Business and Humanities aren’t the hardest to get on either.
A small number of people with very high points apply to a course with few places.
Now knowing that my course is the most popular, I’m dreading August 17th.
Go to Nigeria as you can pay to pass your exams there if you want to be a doctor and then come back here to practice?
As is done in so many other countries as well…
Or try India, where in recent years you didn’t even have to pass exams, just have plenty of money.
And people think you are racist also for stating facts, people rather risk their lives that be thought of as being racist to state facts. Are people mad?
Da Ta mean tinkers boss
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