WITH almost 60,000 students chasing 31,000 places at third level, it is not surprising that competition for Irish university places has again been fierce. Many students are having to settle for second-choice places or re-think their plans more radically. One option is to look outside Ireland, to the UK, where there are still some places on offer and to which, over recent years, there has been an increasing exodus of Irish students.

The scale of the increase is quite dramatic. In 1994, UK universities received a total of 9,563 applications from Irish students. By 1995, this figure had risen to 13,402 - an increase of 40 per cent. Over the same period, the numbers actually registering went from 2,984 to 4,298 - a rise of44 per cent.

As might be expected, Northern Ireland fares particularly well in the Irish student market, enrolling over one quarter of those going to the UK.

One explanation, apart from ease of travel, is that, until this year, maintenance grants could be transferred to northern Ireland, but not to Britain. The rules have now been relaxed and students are free to take, their grants to any British university.

As a result, UK universities will be out in force at The Irish Times/Institute of Guidance Counsellors Higher Options Conference at the RDS on September 18th, 19th and 20th, and again at the Cork Careers Options Conference in October.

With over 100 universities and 20,000 different courses available, the UK offers Irish students wide academic choice and, in some subjects at least, excellent prospects of gaining entry. Also, cheap ferry and air travel can mean that, for those students living away from home, it may even be cheaper to study in a UK university than in Dublin.

However, for those unsure about what is on offer and unfamiliar with the workings of the admissions system, making the right choice can be difficult. Factors such as the cost of living, convenience of and the availability and price of accommodation need to be assessed carefully.

As in Ireland, there is a central application process - the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) - based in Cheltenham. Normally students apply between September and December in the year preceding entry, nominating courses at six universities.

On the basis of these applications, universities make offers of places to selected students but, since these are issued before examination results are known, offers are conditional, upon the students achieving specified grades in their A-level examinations.

One consequence of this system, which is currently being reviewed, is that once results are known - this year it was August 15th like the Leaving Certificate - there follows a busy period when students who have not made their grades shop around for unfilled places at other universities. Last year, the process, known as "clearing", involved 150,000 students of whom 40,000 were successfully placed.

It is not too late, therefore, for those students who have been unsuccessful in Second Round Offers to find a place in the UK, but it does mean acting quickly. UCAS publishes the official course guide to all the courses available, but at clearing stage the most up-to-date information on vacancies can be found on Ceefax or in the London Independent newspaper on Wednesdays and Sundays. In addition, many universities are now advertising vacancies in The Irish Times or Aertel.

During the clearing period, most institutions operate special advice lines that offer information about vacancies or more general guidance. Help-line numbers can be found via Ceefax and the London Independent, and advice is also available from the Applicant Enquiries Helpline run by UCAS (0944-1242-227788).

Naturally, competition for places, as in Ireland, varies considerably between subjects depending upon demand and the number of places available. Medicine and allied subjects (dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, physiotherapy, etc) fill quickly and few, if any, vacancies are to be found at clearing. Last year, almost a quarter of all main scheme applications to the UK from Irish students were for those subjects.

In areas such as engineering, technology, maths, languages and some social sciences, however, places can still be found quite late in the day. UK universities are largely funded on the basis of student intakes and need to fill their places. Appropriately-qualified candidates provided they are flexible about the precise course and the location of the university, will usually be able to find something to suit.