This morning, after the Round 2 offers have been received, some 14,000 students will be left without third-level places. And, inevitably, a small number of people will be utterly dissatisfied with the offers they have received.
If you belong to either camp, cheer up - it's not the end of the world. The good news is that, if you still want to continue in education, a number of options are open to you. Put simply, you can decide either to repeat your Leaving Cert, seek out a third-level place in a college in Britain or Northern Ireland or consider doing a PLC course at home.
But, whatever you decide to do, you need to move fairly quickly as places on all these options tend to get snapped up at this time of the year.
Repeating
If you're considering repeating, you need to think carefully. How likely are you to increase your points? Take advice from teachers and guidance counsellors on this. If you gave it your all last time and still failed to achieve the requisite points, are you likely to make any real improvement? Some people actually get worse results second time around and the points for the course you want could even go up next year.
Most repeat colleges interview applicants to ascertain whether they will benefit from the experience. "Repeating is highly competitive and students have to be prepared to work very hard," warns Michael Finucane, principal of O'Connell School, Dublin. "Repeating can be very rewarding when you achieve good results but, if you don't, it's a waste." Talk to repeat students and they'll tell you about how they have matured during the extra year at second level, about how they have honed their study skills and become independent learners. All of this stands them in good stead when they go on to third level.
If you do decide to repeat, you then have to make up your mind about whether you go back to school or opt for one of the repeat colleges in either the State-funded or private colleges. Private colleges can cost you as much as £2,000 to repeat the year. Fees in the State sector, meanwhile, are minimal - around £280 including the exam fee. Before you decide on a particular college make sure it offers the subjects you need and check out its facilities. It's vital that you have access to regular guidance counselling.
The PLC's
PLCs are growing in popularity. This year some 22,000 places have been sanctioned in this sector. PLC courses, which are of one, two and sometimes three years' duration, are tailored to the job market and the majority lead to NCVA level 2 awards. In some instances, students with NCVA level 2 certificates are able to progress to third-level courses. Every year 1,000 places are set aside by the institutes of technology for students entering via the PLC route. PLCs also offer good access to the world of work. It's estimated that 80 per cent of those entering the labour market with Leaving Certificate and a vocational qualification find jobs within 12 months. Maintenance grants are to be paid to PLC students this year for the first time. However, the administrative details have yet to be worked out and it is unlikely that qualifying students will receive any money before Christmas. Although enrolments on PLC courses are well under way, it's not too late to apply. Get in touch with the colleges and check out what's on offer.
If at this stage you're still determined on moving directly into third level, you still have two options. You can look at the private colleges here in Ireland or you can investigate what's available in Britain or Northern Ireland.
In the early days the private colleges offered courses which were validated by British universities, but they now offer a range of courses which are validated by the NCEA - 65 at the last count. Although you will have to pay annual fees of up to £2,500, NCEA validated course fees are subject to tax remission at the standard rate. You will, though, be ineligible for a maintenance grant.
This year the American College, Portobello College and LSB College, all in Dublin, joined the CAO system and as a result they may have fewer places on offer at this stage than previously. Many colleges say that they are fully bonded which means that in the event of financial collapse, students will be able to continue their courses until they graduate. Be sure to check the small print of the bonding arrangement before you sign up. Colleges which are members of HECA - the Higher Education Colleges Association - also promise that in the event of a crash they will arrange for students to move to other HECA colleges to complete their courses.
Britain & the North
Your final option is to look at colleges in Britain or Northern Ireland where there are still places available. Lists of vacancies are published regularly in the British papers and you can find them on the UCAS Website www.ucas.ac.uk. until September 25th.
If you find a course in which you are interested in a location you might enjoy, ring the college and speak to the admissions tutor. You will have to fill out a UCAS application form (or clearing form if you have made an earlier application), but don't wait to do this. Talk to the college, accept the offer and then deal with the paper work. Remember though, that means-tested £1,000 tuition fees have been introduced in Britain this year. Irish students attending British third-level colleges are entitled to means-tested maintenance grants, but it's worth noting that, since the current value of the Irish pound against sterling is low, going to college in Britain is likely to be expensive.
