Martina Mulhall: Tips for navigating through the CAO application process

Applications for the CAO (Central Applications Office) which processes all applications to undergraduate courses in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are now open.

And while the normal closing date is not until February 1 at 5pm, there are a number of reasons to apply well in advance of that date.

The first is the reduced early bird fee of €30 if you register before January 20 at 5pm. After this date the cost increases to €45.

The second is the simple sense of relief of being able to cross off something from the ever-growing to do list.

Despite these benefits many students are reluctant to engage with the process this early, primarily due to the misconception that the CAO application must be completed in one step.

On the contrary it is a multi-step process which can be returned to at various stages until the final deadline of July 1 at 5pm.

My advice is to get step one completed as soon as you can. All that is required here is to submit your personal details, create a password and pay the discounted fee. You will then be given your CAO number.

While not compulsory at this stage it is a good idea to tick the box indicating your interest in being considered for the SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) grant, even if you are not yet sure you qualify. See here for qualification check.

Similarly if you think you might be eligible for either of the reduced points access programmes Dare (Disability Access Route to Education) or HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) tick those boxes now, as after February 1 at 5pm this cannot be added to your CAO application.

Advice on these schemes will be featured here on LaoisToday over the coming months. And regular reminders and tips will be featured here.

There is absolutely no need to add any course choices to complete step one.

You simply get your CAO application number, make sure to store your password securely, and return to add, remove or reorder course choices as often as you wish, free of charge, until March 1 at 5pm.

While some students wait until July 1 to add their course choices this is not an approach I would recommend. Gaining confidence in adding, removing and reordering courses is very valuable.

Regardless of when you choose to list your courses there are some other key dates/points to remember:

Restricted courses – those requiring additional assessment procedures such as portfolio, interview, or audition – may only be added after the normal closing date of February 1 at 5pm up until March 1 at 5pm, if an additional fee of €10 is paid.

If you are considering including a restricted course it is a good idea to list that course early on, even if you are not yet certain you want it, because while it is possible to remove it at any stage up until July 1 at 5pm, it is not possible to introduce it once the March 1 5pm deadline has passed.

By 5pm on March 1, having already ticked the DARE and/or HEAR box by February 1, all elements of the online HEAR and/or DARE Supplementary Information Form (SIF) must be fully and accurately completed and submitted. Supporting documents for DARE and/or HEAR applicants must be sent to CAO offices before 15 March at 5pm.

Other than those restrictions, from now until February 1 you can amend your course choice any number of times free of charge. This can also be done between February 5 and March 1 if you pay an additional €10.

Other than that there is a late application facility which opens on March 5 at 12 noon and closes on May 1 at 5pm. This incurs an increased cost of €60.

The Change of Mind facility reopens again on May 6 allowing applicants to introduce, remove or reorder course choices free of charge up until July 1 at 5pm.

TIPS

• Apply early.
• Write down your CAO number and your password, and remember where you have safely and securely stored them.
• Make use of the CAO handbook. It is a great resource. https://www2.cao.ie/handbook/handbook2025/hb.pdf. It is a great resource.
• If feeling nervous about the application process make use of the online demo facility to practice https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=demo
• Contact the CAO with any questions you might have, but don’t leave it until the last minute https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=email.
• Make sure to begin preparing for submission deadlines such as portfolio, interview, audition and for DARE/HEAR documentation. 
• Respect all CAO deadlines. They are non-negotiable.
• Allocate time to course research and start adding course choices, keeping in mind all the deadlines and additional change of mind costs as listed above. But in general keep the three firsts in mind – February 1, March 1, July 1. 
• You have the chance to include ten choices for level 8 courses and ten for level 6/7 courses. Add as many as you can so as to maximise your chance of receiving a course offer in August.
• List your courses in your genuine order of preference only, from the highest preference 1, to the lowest preference 10. 
• Make sure you satisfy all subject requirements for all the courses you list, because otherwise regardless of what Leaving Cert points you get you will not be offered a place. This is particularly important regarding third languages, lab science subjects and minimum grade requirements for certain subjects. The Qualifax Subject Requirements Tool is very useful for this https://www.qualifax.ie/subject-requirements
• Finalise your order of preference by July 1 5pm, but take my advice and tell yourself the deadline is actually June 30! 
• Take help from your school Guidance Counsellor, parents, siblings, other family members or friends who are already in college. 
• Print off the one-page Online Applicant Checklist, page 36 of the CAO Handbook, put it on your noticeboard, and tick off each step as you go. It is a brilliant resource to keep you on track throughout all stages – before you apply, during the application process, and offer rounds.
• Keep a look out for email correspondence from the CAO.
• Things change. Go to www.cao.ie regularly to fact-check. 

TRAPS

• Do not base your order of preference on last year’s points, or on how you think you might do in the exams. Every year students make the mistake of thinking they can reject the offer of a course in favour of a lower preference course. This cannot happen, as once you are offered a higher preference course, all courses listed in lower order are no longer in play. 
• Don’t limit yourself to one specific location. If it’s your dream course it’s worth travelling for. 
• Don’t chose a course just because your friends are interested in doing it.  
• Don’t ignore level 6/7 courses. 
• Don’t leave deadlines to the last minute. Any number of thigs could go wrong, from losing your password or wi-fi connection, to your payment card being rejected, to the system crashing. Give yourself lots of time so as to avoid the stress of that. 

I hope this article has provided you with useful information regarding the CAO application process.

It is important to note also, that there are alternative access routes to higher education, other institutions offering further and higher education, and situations where you may have to apply to an institution directly.

There are PLCs (Post Leaving cert Courses) Apprenticeships, Tertiary courses, the UK entry system UCAS, the European entry system Eunicas, as well as direct entry routes to employment. All of these topics will be covered here on LaoisToday over the coming months.

Follow me on Instagram for regular updates also.

Gold Star Careers offers one-to-one or small group career advice, in-person or online, to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. See www.goldsarcareers.ie for more information.

SEE ALSO – Check out all of Martina’s columns here