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Cao Offers Be Ready To Consider Plan B If Things Don T Go Your Way

Leo Migdal
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cao offers be ready to consider plan b if things don t go your way

Nicole Rohan, 625 points, and Sinead Ahern, 625 points, after receiving their 2025 Leaving Certificate results at Christ King Girls Secondary School, South Douglas Road, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan While a high percentage of CAO applicants get offered their first choice on their course list, this isn’t the case for everyone. Some students work hard to prepare for the exams, but life circumstances can get in the way, or they may have lost out in the random selection process for a course with limited places. Guidance Counsellor Claire Murphy of the IGC says that when CAO offers come out first, the first reaction she sees is usually shock. “When the offers come out, students are shocked when they get what they wanted, and also when they don’t get what they wanted,” she says.

“From my experience, every year many students are disappointed that they don’t get their first choice. Many students feel very disillusioned and disappointed because although they put the work in, they feel that all their efforts and hard work are not reflected in their points. Many feel that life may not work out the way they had planned or wanted as a result of not getting their first or second choice.” MABSBorrowers in Financial DifficultyMARP Let’s just start by saying CONGRATULATIONS on completing secondary school and getting through the leaving cert process. Has it been easy?

I doubt it. Will you regret some decisions or mistakes you made? I’m sure you will. At the end of the day, however, there is a lesson in all those decisions and mistakes. You just need to keep an open mind and find the hidden lessons. The next chapter now opens; the CAO offers.

Before we get into the CAO offers process, and what to do if it didn’t go your way, I want you to take some time to celebrate your success so far. You have finally arrived at the finish line. You should feel very proud of your accomplishment. Below we will take you through a step-by-step approach to dealing with the CAO offers. In the first round of CAO offers, the student is offered the highest preference listed on their CAO application to which their points rating entitles them. Once they have been offered their highest CAO choice, the student is excluded from further consideration for any course that is lower than the place offered.

The student may still be eligible for a course of higher preference if a place becomes available later on. CAO Round 1 offers were released on Tuesday, 27th August at 2pm, and for many students, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions. If you didn’t get the offer you were hoping for, take a deep breath—there are still plenty of options available to you. The Available Places facility opens on Wednesday, 28th August at 12pm. This is your chance to apply for courses that still have places available, even if you didn’t originally list them on your CAO application. National College of Ireland is offering six courses through Available Places this year:

These programmes span high-demand areas like Business, Computing, and Education, and are designed to help you build a strong foundation for your future career. Keep in mind that the Higher Certificates are level 6 courses which offer students a direct route to year two of the level 8 degree if they missed out on a place on those... It’s a CAO facility that highlights courses still open to qualified applicants. If you meet the minimum entry requirements, you can apply - even if you didn’t include the course in your original CAO choices. Don’t panic, there are lots of options still open to you! Career Guidance Counsellor Rory White gives his advice on what to do if your CAO offer doesn’t go to plan.

On Friday past, the Class of 2024 received their Leaving Certificate results. Some students will have had their UCAS places confirmed, others will be heading off to start Further Education options like PLC courses, Apprenticeships and Traineeships. However, the next anxious wait for many students will be tomorrow 2.00pm Wednesday 28th when the CAO Round One offers are released. Students will be hopeful that they have gained enough points to secure an offer, and the vast majority will do so. You’ve received your CAO (Central Applications Office) results, and whether they’ve met your expectations or not, it’s a pivotal moment. The next steps are crucial, and how you handle them can make a big difference in your future.

Here’s a guide to help you navigate what comes next with clarity and confidence. Before jumping to conclusions, take a deep breath and carefully review your CAO results. Make sure you understand your points and how they align with your chosen courses. Double-check any details and ensure that everything is correct. Sometimes errors can occur, and it’s better to catch them early. Log into your CAO account to view any offers you’ve received.

Your offer will detail which course(s) you’ve been accepted into. Take your time to read through all the information provided, including any conditions attached to your offer. Take stock of your options. If you received an offer for your first-choice course, congratulations! If not, consider the following: Decide whether to accept or decline your offers.

If you’ve been accepted into a course, you’ll need to formally accept the offer through your CAO account. Be aware of deadlines; failure to respond in time might result in losing your offer. If you decline, you may still be eligible for offers in subsequent rounds, so stay informed. Receiving your CAO university offers can be an exciting yet critical moment. Round 1 CAO offers will be released from 2pm today, marking a significant milestone for many students. Marketing Manager at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Fiona Kelly provides a list of dos and don’ts to keep in mind during this phase.

Read Carefully: Carefully read and understand the details of the offer. Take note of the course, institution, and any conditions mentioned. If you have received an offer from ATU, and want to find out more about what to do next, check out www.atu.ie/offers Meet Deadlines: Respond to the offer within the given deadline. The deadline for Round 1 offer acceptances is 3pm 5th September. It’s important to remember this date when considering your options.

Research Your Offer: If you’re unfamiliar with the course you’ve been offered, take some time to research it. Understand the programme, location, facilities, and career prospects it offers. If you have an offer from ATU and want to know more about the programme you have been offered, you can always book a campus visit or contact a member of the team visit... Disclosure: this page may contain affiliate links to select partners. We receive a commission should you choose to make a purchase after clicking on them. Read our affiliate disclosure.

The best-laid plans can sometimes go very wrong. You can try to predict every eventuality, strive to cover all your bases, cross all your T’s and dot all your I’s, and life can still blindside you with something you never even considered. That’s just how it goes sometimes. This isn’t as terrible as it probably sounds. To not have things go your way is a normal part of life that you can learn to navigate. These setbacks are easier to deal with when you adopt a “success” mindset.

That is, a lot of people don’t walk a linear path from start to success. Instead, they start walking their path, run into problems, and find a different approach that gets them where they want to go. Granted, not every problem can be handled that way. Sometimes we hit an end and just have to accept that’s the end so that we can let go and move on. But for many things, we need to readjust our paths and move in a different direction. For the original article by Celestine: 13 Helping Points When Things Don’t Go Your Way

“We all have problems. The way we solve them is what makes us different.” ~Unknown “It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye Have you ever experienced moments when things just don’t go your way? For example, losing your keys, accidentally spilling your drink, waking up late, missing your buses/trains, forgetting to bring your things, and so on? You’re not alone.

All of us, myself included, experience times when things don’t go as we expect.

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