Going postal.

Terry

I want to apply for a course through CAO for next September.
Is there any way I can do this without applying over the internet?

I have e-mailed them through cao.ie. Am I pissing into the wind?

Is there somewhere I can apply for a form, other than online?

There's an online form you can fill out on the CAO website here. Keep in mind that some colleges (possibly all, I'm not sure) require you to submit a separate application form to them at the same time that you submit the physical application form, so if you're applying as a mature student you might want to contact the admissions office in the college you're applying to. Alternatively, the CAO application form is here (linked via the downloads page). You're still able to apply via snailmail AFAIK.

/edit, sorry, just saw 'without' when I thought you said 'with' before. Yeah, ring up the CAO directly and they should post you out a copy. I've heard good things about the CAO with getting back to people by e-mail, so chances are you'll get an e-mail back on Monday. Unless I'm wrong, of course, and then you might want to ring them up.

As above, you might have to ring up the College as well to get an application form for it as well as the CAO form.

Terry

Thanks, Myth.

One other question.
If I need to call the admissions office, are the colleges still open at this time of the year?
I meant to do this a couple of months back, but I keep forgetting.

I missed the deadline last year due to my poor memory. I don't want to waste another year.

rainbowtrout

A lot of students are getting their holidays from college today, but that doesn't mean admin staff have finished up yet. I reckon start ringing around the colleges on monday morning. I can't imagine admin staff in any workplace finishing up on the 14th December for Christmas hols.

Yeah, they are open all year round (though I'm still unsure what they do at this time of year). Should be working next week still.

Have a look at this thread - specifically at the links to the college pages for mature students in the section "Is there any college-specific information you can give me?" - to see if they have application forms online. Just in case you want to have a look at them in PDF before getting them sent out to you.

Good luck with it

/edit: what rainbowtrout said.

rainbowtrout

and if you don't hear anything back from the CAO in the next few days call into your local secondary school and ask the guidance counsellor for a CAO handbook and application form, schools don't close until the 21st.

Having said that, 90% of applications are made online these days so the CAO should be able to deal with your query promptly as they're not swamped in paperwork anymore.


From the CAO website:

Mature Applicants (i.e. those seeking entry on grounds of mature years) and applicants applying for Restricted Courses must contact the HEI(s) before making an application

smashey

Good decision Terry.

randylonghorn

Terry wrote: »

One other question.
If I need to call the admissions office, are the colleges still open at this time of the year?

The one nearest you doesn't close admin. offices until Friday, Terry, though by Thursday / Friday you might find that they're down to skeleton staff as people take an extra personal day or two (useful link from their website here btw), and I would imagine most colleges are on a similar schedule.

Terry

The application form arrived in the post yesterday.
Now I have to see whst I want to do.

None of the courses I have looked at are restricted. Do I still have to contact the HEI's anyway?
Not that it's gonna be many of them. Just DCU, DIT and one other one.

I'l have the form in by the deadline anyway.
I can finally quit tiling. Yay.

rainbowtrout

Well that's what it says on the site. Maybe you have to contact them because there maybe some specific procedures for mature students for each individual college, eg. interview, aptitude test and if you go through this process and the college approve your place then the CAO can be informed so they know how many places are left to give out to students doing the Leaving.


From the DCU website:


How do I apply?

Mature EU candidates for full-time study should apply to the Central Applications Office (CAO) . Application forms and copies of the CAO Handbook can be obtained from the CAO at Tower House, Eglinton St., Galway, or by telephoning (091) 509800. Applications can be made online at www.cao.ie and copies of the Handbook can also be downloaded from the website. Mature applicants to DCU (except those applying for Nursing programmes or Non-EU applicants) must also submit a Mature Applicants Supplementary Information Form directly to the University. Copies can be requested from The Registry at Tel: +353 (0) 1 7005338 or email: registry@dcu.ie or Download a copy of our Mature Student Supplementary application form (pdf).

In the case of mature applicants, 'other' experience, apart from performance in examinations, is taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Mature applicants are assessed based on their application details and may be called for interview (typically in late May/early June). The University aims to inform applicants of the outcome of their application as soon as possible afterwards, with official offers issued by the Central Applications Office (CAO) in Round 0 in early July.


Places are given out in Round Zero to successful mature students and those who deferred etc, and remaining places to Leaving Certs, so it looks like you will have to make an application to each individual college as well, you should get cracking with that ASAP. Closing date for mature students applications for DCU is February 1st according to their website. I would assume DIT operate something similar. That is of course if you are applying in the mature student category and not with your original set of LC results.