Q WHERE can I get a change of mind form for CAO 1997? I want to change the order of courses on my list. Leaving Cert student, Limerick

A BY NOW you must have got your application number from CAO and by the end of May you will be sent a "statement of application" record to verify that all your information has been recorded accurately.

When you get this statement, you can then ask CAO to send you a change of mind form.

This year each applicant must request the form individually in the past the form was sent automatically with the application record in May. It was felt that it was unnecessary to provide the form for all applicants when only a certain number wished to submit a change of mind.

When you ask for the change of mind form, you will be sent two forms one for degree courses and one for cert/diploma courses. The forms are independent of each other, so changes in one will not affect the other. This means you may change the degree list, the cert/diploma list or both. However, you may not introduce restricted application courses for the first time after the February 1st closing date for such courses.

The latest date for receipt of change of mind forms at the CAO office is July 1st.

Q I HAVE applied through the CAO for admission to Royal College of Surgeons for a place in medicine on the basis of my Leaving Cert results. I'm also thinking of applying for a place there through the Entrance Exam in General Education. Do you think this will give me a better chance of a place?

Dublin student

A YOU should apply to all colleges which offer medicine (UCC, UCD, UCG and TCD) if that is your career preference because, although the RCSI is in the CAO handbook this year for the first time, the college is not in the free fees scheme and you will have to pay £3,910 in fees. It's impossible to forecast the points level for any course, but this year it is even more difficult to forecast points for medicine because of the addition of RCSI to the system. The interview will be dropped by RCSI for this year and will be reviewed again for next year.

Closing date for the entrance exam was March 31st, but it's possible to submit a late application up to June 1st on payment of a late fee of £30 on top of the exam fee of £185. However, you should look very carefully at the subjects available in the entrance exam and compare them with your Leaving Cert subjects.

Your six Leaving Cert subjects must include Irish, English, another language, maths and a science subject from the group physics, chemistry and biology. At least been higher must be from any of the three sciences or from maths. However, the choice of subjects in the entrance exam is much more restricted because this exam is set by the college itself and presumably there are not sufficient numbers sitting some of the subjects. Again, English and maths are compulsory and one language must be chosen from Irish, Afrikaans, Arabic, Latin, German, French, Italian or Spanish and one science from biology, physics or chemistry.

The remaining two subjects can be chosen from any of the above, in addition to history, geography and classical studies. This discriminates against students who take subjects such as home economics, music, art, any of the business subjects, agricultural science, technical drawing, construction studies, engineering or Greek.

Applied maths was also one of this excluded group. However, the case for its inclusion has just been made on the basis of its suitability for the course and also because sufficient numbers are taking it in the entrance exam.

The situation may change as regards other subjects in the future based on these grounds. Apparently, representations were made to include home economics (social and scientific) and music, but it was felt that either these were not as relevant or there were insufficient numbers taking them in the exam though it would seem they are just as relevant as, say, classical studies or applied maths.

The RCSI is a recognised college of the NUI, but it's worth noting that the NUI interpretation of a laboratory science subject is wider than the RCSI it includes agricultural science and physics with chemistry as well.

So you would have to look carefully to see that you have six subjects which can be included in this exam and that they are subjects that you are good at. Otherwise it may not be worth your while sitting it.

Q I'M an MSc graduate in environmental science with a degree in zoologyand have several years work experience. I would love to get into the career guidance area. What courses are available, especially on a part time basis?

Belfast reader

A YOUR background is very suitable for training in career guidance.

However, I think that you will find it difficult to take a course on a part time basis in the Republic. All courses are based on full time attendance, though you may be in college taking lectures, doing projects or gaining practical experience in schools.

There are one year post graduate diploma courses in guidance and counselling in UCD and UCC which have been running for a number of years. There is also a new one year course jointly run by St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and Marino Institute of Education which started last September. This course offers two full days, Mondays and Fridays, on school placement.

TCD offers a two year master's degree qualification in education and you can take guidance and counselling as an option. All of these courses are accepted by the Department of Education as a teaching qualification for second level schools.

The University of Ulster does have a one year part time postgraduate certificate in this area. You can do a further year part time to bring you to diploma level and a third year plus a dissertation to gain an MSc in guidance and counselling. Though this course is normally part time, it has been designed to accommodate full time students as well.

A number of postgraduate courses are also available in colleges in Britain.