College Types
The CAO is the office delegated by the Higher Education Institutions to process centrally all applications for undergraduate courses. In Ireland you apply for almost all full-time undergraduate courses (Higher Certificates (Level 6), Ordinary Bachelor's degrees (Level 7) and Honors' Bachelor's degrees (Level 8)) in the universities and Institutes of Technology through the Central Applications Office (CAO). The CAO provides an applications pack with a handbook that lists all the courses on offer and gives information on how to apply. Decisions on offers of places are normally made in August and September, after the results of the Leaving Certificate have been announced.
For all participating Higher Level Institutions, application can be made in paper and online via the CAO. Remember to check the closing date for application relevant to the year you are applying. The application fee whether online or paper has a fee attached, however if you apply online before mid January you may get a discount on this fee. During the year a number of colleges hold open days for students to get a feel of the college they wish to apply to. Remember www.cao.ie gives detailed information on criteria, deadlines and application procedure.
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