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fifomania

Is it possible to be a Mature applicant and apply for General Nursing?? I've seen on CAO that there are General Nursing courses and then Mature Applicant Nursing courses but can a Mature person apply under either category?

Also, when the offers come out, is it only your first choice that you get offered? I mean can you accept your 2nd choice even if you get offered your 1st choice? Or if you decline your 1st choice, will you get offered your 2nd?

Really hope those questions make sense! Thanks so much

paperclip2

fifomania wrote: »

Is it possible to be a Mature applicant and apply for General Nursing?? I've seen on CAO that there are General Nursing courses and then Mature Applicant Nursing courses but can a Mature person apply under either category?

If you have the required points in your leaving cert and/or a FETAC level 5 course in a related area you can apply to General Nursing through CAO. Additionally if you are aged over 23 you can also apply using the Mature Applicant codes. So basically the answer is yes, if you have the points in your LC or a minimum of 5 distinctions in a FETAC level 5 course you can apply using the Standard applicant codes. You dont have to restrict yourself to the Mature student application pathway.

fifomania wrote: »

Also, when the offers come out, is it only your first choice that you get offered? I mean can you accept your 2nd choice even if you get offered your 1st choice? Or if you decline your 1st choice, will you get offered your 2nd?

Really hope those questions make sense! Thanks so much

No, you will be offered the highest choice on your list that you have points for. You cannot opt for a choice that is lower down your list. Thats why its very important to rank the courses in order of preference when you choose them. If you decline your first choice you will not be offered your second or third.

As the second and third round offers go on you might be offered choices higher up your list if those courses are not filled from first and second round offers.

fifomania

paperclip2 wrote: »

If you have the required points in your leaving cert and/or a FETAC level 5 course in a related area you can apply to General Nursing through CAO. Additionally if you are aged over 23 you can also apply using the Mature Applicant codes. So basically the answer is yes, if you have the points in your LC or a minimum of 5 distinctions in a FETAC level 5 course you can apply using the Standard applicant codes. You dont have to restrict yourself to the Mature student application pathway.quote]

I got word back from DCU, where I wanted to apply for General Nursing as Mature Student, and they said I can't apply and my points wouldn't be considered as a Mature Student, even though I have the required points for the course from my LC.

I'm confused!

paperclip2

fifomania wrote: »

I got word back from DCU, where I wanted to apply for General Nursing as Mature Student, and they said I can't apply and my points wouldn't be considered as a Mature Student, even though I have the required points for the course from my LC.

I'm confused!

Fifomania have a look here: http://www2.cao.ie/handbook/handbook/index.php

Specifically page four of the handbook in the section 'Mature Applicants for 'Nursing / Midwifery', paragraph no. 2. It specifically states that mature applicants may also be assessed on the basis of their educational qualifications as well as their mature student status through the inclusion of Standard applicant codes.

I'm really at a loss as to what DCU are playing at. One of my students successfully added Standard applicant codes to her mature application for nursing in the past couple of weeks. I spoke to CAO in advance of her doing this and they confirmed that she, as a mature student could ammend her application through introducing Standard Applicant course codes. This would mean that she would be assessed on the basis of her FETAC qualification as well as her mature student application. The same would be true if she wanted to be assessed on her LC results.

If you want to pm me a few more details I can check into it a bit more.

Edit: What would make a difference would be if you did not apply to CAO before 1st Feb as a mature student. You cant apply as a Mature applicant after that date or as a standard applicant after 1st May.