CAO choice help

freshprince

Hi,
I got my 2nd choice in the CAO, but I'd prefer my 3rd choice and I have enough points and the requirements for it. Is there anyway I can go down to the 3rd choice?

Thanks

I have not accepted anything yet...

Willbbz

I'm in the same boat. Hoping to somehow get my second level 7 rather than the first.

paperclip2

freshprince wrote: »

Hi,
I got my 2nd choice in the CAO, but I'd prefer my 3rd choice and I have enough points and the requirements for it. Is there anyway I can go down to the 3rd choice?

Thanks

I have not accepted anything yet...

Sadly no Freshprince. Once you are offerd a course you are automatically excluded from consideration of offers below that choice. Its on page 22 of the CAO handbook I think:

Exclusion from lower preferences

IMPORTANT: When you have been offered a place in one of your course preferences, you are excluded from further consideration for any course which is lower in your order of preference than the one in which you have been offered a place.

This means that while you may subsequently move upwards in your order of preference (if places become available due to withdrawals) you will not be considered for a place in a course which is a lower preference than that already offered.

freshprince

I see it know, this is something that career guidance teachers should say in school or for CAO to make it more clear. Thanks anyway!

randylonghorn

freshprince wrote: »

I see it know, this is something that career guidance teachers should say in school or for CAO to make it more clear. Thanks anyway!

In fairness, I'm not sure the CAO could make it any more clear; they say it again and again in the handbook and everything they produce!

I can't comment on individual guidance teachers obviously, but most of them I know wake up in the middle of the night parroting it, they say it so often! :pac:

freshprince

Mine never mentioned it, and I'm not sure how many people read the handbook back to front lol

paperclip2

freshprince wrote: »

Mine never mentioned it, and I'm not sure how many people read the handbook back to front lol

Ohh I'm sure they did

Ash_M

Your only possibility there would be if the two courses were within the same college and if there was space in the one you wanted to move in to. However, that's a bit of a risk seeing as there's no guarantees, and you'd have to register for the second course... and some colleges are a little bit harder to transfer in than others.

blindsider

freshprince wrote: »

Hi,
I got my 2nd choice in the CAO, but I'd prefer my 3rd choice and I have enough points and the requirements for it. Is there anyway I can go down to the 3rd choice?

Thanks

I have not accepted anything yet...

See if the course you want is available on 'Vacant Places'.

VP re-opens at 1200 today

http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=vpl_enter

If it is, you can apply there. If it's not, try to talk to someone in the college and ask them about it. Ask how many places have been filled etc to get a clearer picture.


I would stick at it - tenacity can work wonders sometimes. Colleges have a certain amount of discretion but they'll never admit that publicly.

Once the scramble for places starts, anything can happen.

As a second alternative, is the course you want (your 3rd choice on CAO) available in another college on Vacant Places?

Don't give up because the Handbook says you can't do something - why would you start a course you really don't want?

freshprince

Thanks guys, I think for now I will accept my second choice and hope to be offered for my first and keep checking the vacant courses to see if one of my other choices reopens

eyescreamcone

I know you mightn't have a straight answer for me, but why did you not put your choices down in order of preference?

freshprince

Mainly because of my own stupidity lol... I thought that if you have say 6 choices and qualify for all, that you get an offer for them all.

I regret it now, but now I'm just gonna accept what I got and apply for a vacant course if I see one I like.

randylonghorn

freshprince wrote: »

Mine never mentioned it, and I'm not sure how many people read the handbook back to front lol

See, this is what I really don't understand ... people spend 2 years studying for the LC to give themselves the best chance of getting the course they want, but won't spend half an hour skimming the CAO handbook to make sure they actually know how to apply for it properly!

Not meaning to have a go at you, lad, but it frustrates the hell out of me, on Boards and in real life!

freshprince

Don't worry, I totally understand your frustration