By Guidance Counsellor Niamh Dwyer

The month of May is a very important one for CAO applicants as there are some key deadlines and dates coming up.

Late Applications close May 1

If you still want to apply to CAO 2023 and haven’t already done so, you must apply before the Late Application deadline which is on May 1 at 5pm. The fee for late applications is €60 and some restrictions do apply at this stage. For example, in general, courses which are categorised as ‘restricted’ cannot be added now and some Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may not consider late applications for certain categories of applicant. Make sure to check the relevant HEI website before applying.

Statement of Application Process begins on May 5

CAO have stated that they will start to send out the Statement of Application emails on Friday, May 5 (subject to change) for those presenting Leaving Certificate qualifications. Those presenting other qualifications will receive emails in the following day/weeks. If you have opted to receive text messages you will be sent a notification by text and email to the number/address that you have supplied in your application. It is essential that you check this email carefully and follow the instructions. You will be asked to log into your CAO account and verify that all of your information is recorded correctly. This includes your personal details, qualifications and assessment section which includes examination and language exemption information as well as your course choices. If there are any omissions or errors you must inform CAO immediately as this could have consequences at offer stage and may lead to a loss of a college place. Don’t assume that your examination number and information is correct, check everything carefully. If you have not received the Statement of Application Record email by June 1, contact the CAO immediately via the Contact section of the website.

Change of Mind facility opens on May 5

From Friday, May 5 at 12pm the CAO Change of Mind facility opens to allow applicants to make changes to course choices. This can be done up to July 1 at 5pm, which is the final deadline to make any changes. You have two lists of courses to consider in your CAO application – Level 8 and Level 7/6. The two lists are completely separate in your application and you have the option to include up to 10 choices on both. The absolute golden rule when listing your courses on CAO is to do so in ORDER OF PREFERENCE. You can take out, add in or change the order of the courses. Some restrictions do apply. There is no charge for the Change of Mind facility and if you make a change online, an acknowledgement is sent to the email address used at the application stage. You can make changes right up to the July 1 deadline at 5pm but not after that! You can also log on to www.cao.ie to check the application at any time. Video guides to the Change of Mind and the Statement of Application Record are available on www.cao.ie.

Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore and a member of Kerry Branch of IGC. See www.mycareerplan.ie or follow @mycareerplan on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.