With the deadline for the receipt of CAO applications rapidly approaching, career guidance counsellor Billy Ryle has some timely tips for Kerry students
2025 is shaping up to be a very good year for Kerry’s applicants to the Central Applications Office for a third level college course.
The outgoing government has already committed to easing the pressure on points requirements by making more places available in some very competitive courses.
The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) has been awarded 20 places in a new dentistry faculty while Atlantic Technological University (ATU), South East Technological University (SETU) and University of Galway (UG) will share 130 pharmacy places.
The University of Galway (UG) has been awarded a new rural and remote graduate entry medicine stream with 48 places per annum while the University of Limerick (UL) will add an undergraduate medicine degree to its very successful post graduate medicine degree. In addition, SETU and ATU will share 80 places in veterinary medicine.
Hopefully, most of these new courses as well as many more in other disciplines will be available to 2025 college applicants.
More than 52,000 college places will be available next August. Applicants have until 5.00pm on February 1st to submit a completed application form.
51,534 applicants accepted a CAO offer in 2024 – 45,547 at Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degrees) and 5987 at Level 7/6 (Ordinary Level Degrees/Higher Certificates).
By being careful with the application, it’s not very difficult to secure a CAO college course so make good use of the next few weeks to complete your research.
The CAO Handbook 2025 – PDF format or personalised – explains how to apply for a third level college place. Select your personal preferences from the courses in the handbook. Each course is assigned a code, which you enter on the application. You may apply for up to 10 courses in each of the two categories, listed in order of your preference.
Consult the CAO handbook 2025 for information about general academic requirements, specific course requirements and content of courses. Similar information can also be found on colleges’ websites.
Consider the potential career value of each course for which you are applying and play to your strengths as you do your course research during the next few weeks.
Jot down your personal career profile, including such variables as ability, achievement, application, aptitude, ambition, values, interests and personality. Select courses that suit you in order to have a fulfilling, enjoyable and successful college experience.
Good luck with your 2025 CAO application.
Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator. Email: rylebilly@gmail.com
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