THE HANDBOOK: Resist the temptation to put pen to CAO/CAS form without first reading the detailed instructions contained in the green pages of your CAO/CAS handbook.
PHOTOCOPIES: Photocopy the form so you can do a practice run and make your mistakes in comfort without fear of the £5 resubmission penalty which the CAO levies on forms that it must return because of mistakes. It will also save you the inevitable parental recriminations.
THE FORM: It's actually relatively straightforward. Most school-leavers will have to fill out only the first two pages. The real difficulty is, of course, deciding which courses to include on your lists and in what order.
On page two of the form there are two separate lists - one for certificates and diplomas and one for degrees - and you can enter up to 10 course choices on each list. Guidance counsellors recommend students fill in all 10 courses on each form in order to maximise your chances of getting an offer.
PREPARATIONS: The well-prepared student will not use the CAO/CAS handbook as the sole source of information and will, at the very least, read the college prospectuses. You should also consult your guidance counsellor for any additional information on courses and colleges. If possible, take some of the literature-home so you can study it in peace and your parents can also read it.
STRATEGIES: Guidance counsellors stress the importance of staying calm throughout the process. Easier said than done, of course. However, adopting a strategy can help you feel in control.
Fr John Dunne, president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, suggests writing each course you are interested in on a separate piece of paper and putting the reasons for and against underneath. Take the pieces of paper out each day and spend some time thinking about your choices. Then begin to prioritise.
This decision is just as important as your marks in English, after all, so you need to put in the same kind of time, if not the same quantity, according to Dunne. He suggests filling out the rest of the form well in advance and, then, late in January, all that needs to be done is to fill in the listings, put the forms in an envelope, and send it in plenty of time to meet the February 1st deadline.
Students should be aware of the possibility of applying through the NITEC computer system at the reduced fee of £15. Ask your guidance counsellor for details.
THE CHOICES: You must list courses in order of preference. So, the course you want most should head the list. If you don't get that, decide which course you would like next and so on. Don't list courses in order of points or in order of preference in the handbook.
The degree and certificate/ diploma lists are completely separate so you should approach each with the same amount of care. Many students leave the certificate/ diploma list blank, listing only degrees. This means that they are ignoring perfectly good courses which may well have fewer points requirements and the option of follow-on degree programmes later.
SPECIFIC POINTS: Be aware of specific subject requirements for certain courses. Each college has certain basic minimum requirements. If you don't have these, then you can not register for the college at all.
In addition, many courses require a particular grade in certain subjects - for instance, UCD demands a grade B in higher level maths for its engineering programmes.
You must meet these subject requirements in order to be considered for a place - regardless of how many points you have. See pages 8 and 9 of this supplement for a master chart of the various subject requirements.
THE POINTS: Don't allow last year's points requirements to influence your choice unduly. Remember these points are only a rough guide to what the situation will be like this year.
Of course, you should have some idea of your ability. If you're unlikely to get very high points, it would not be in your best interests to list only medicine, law and dentistry. Even if you have done very well in exams to date and hope to do as well, if not better, in the Leaving Cert, it's a good idea to have a fall-back situation and to list one course which generally requires lower points.
HOW IT WORKS: You should be aware of how the CAO operates. The computer programme first checks whether you have the points for your first preference. If you qualify for an offer, all of your lower preferences are wiped out. If you don't, it moves on to your second choice and so on.
If the points requirement drops you will be reconsidered for the higher choices, whether you have accepted or rejected a previous offer.
The rule is that you can always move upwards in your list of choices but never downwards. So, if you are offered your first preference, you can not decide to opt for a lower points course no matter what. This is why it is so important to list your choice of courses in genuine order of preference.
The certificate and diploma list and the degree operate independently so you may get two offers at any one time. You may accept only one of these.
POSTING: Before you post off your completed form, take a photocopy and keep it for future reference. And don't forget to get your certificate of posting (on the back page of your CAO/CAS book) stamped.
SPECIAL CATEGORIES: Special category applicants fall into a number of groups - students who have sat alternative exams to the Leaving Cert, such as A-levels, Senior Cert or the Baccalaureat; mature students; students with NCVA level 2 or PLC qualifications; people with previous third-level or trade or craft qualifications. There are also applicants with health problems which require special facilities at college - for instance, students with a physical handicap or sight and hearing problem.
Applicants must fill out pages three and four of the CAO/CAS form. You must supply one photocopy of pages three and four for each college to which you are applying. You must also supply certified photocopies of all qualifications you have listed on page three (with the exception of Summer 1997 NICCEA GCE results).
Applicants whose disability prevents them from reading the handbook or filling out the form should telephone CAO/CAS and personal arrangements will be made to overcome such difficulties.