Applying to college as a mature student is no easy task. Application procedures are cumbersome, closing dates vary, and colleges differ in the way they assess the suitability of candidates.
In recent years colleges, with an eye on declining demographics, have realised they will come to rely more on mature students to fill places. All of the colleges say they welcome mature applicants and a number of colleges have gone some way towards expressing this welcome by streamlining application procedures, offering foundation and return-to-learning courses and appointing people to help mature students through college.
However, many mature applicants remain unconvinced of the fairness of selection procedures, which are difficult to quantify. If you're a school leaver and you don't get the points required, you don't get a college place. You may not like it, but at least you know why you won't be going to college.
If you're a mature student you may be assessed on the basis of your CAO form, or an interview, or an assessment or prior learning or a combination of these. But, if you don't get a place, you are unlikely to find out why. Colleges are wary of possible litigation so many opt for the safe response: "There were a large number of highly qualified applicants applying for limited places . . . so we regret to inform you your application was unsuccessful." This is not particularly helpful for students who may be thinking of applying again next year and who would like to improve their chances of obtaining a place.
Applications by mature students is one of the areas being addressed by the Points Commission and it is likely that some changes will be made.
For the present, mature students must struggle on as best they can. Closing dates for application to the various colleges are listed on page five of the CAO handbook. Some colleges require direct applications; others require application through the CAO and two colleges ask students to submit a CAO application and to complete a separate application form to be sent directly to the college admissions office.
To obtain a copy of the CAO handbook and an application form, contact the CAO at Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway. Tel: (091) 509800.
One problem facing mature applicants is that colleges add and delete courses after the CAO handbook has gone to print. Schools are notified of the changes in December and, again, in April. All applicants are notified directly in May. This means mature applicants may not be aware of changes to the handbook until May, when it could well be too late for them.
Mature applicants are usually defined as being over 23 years of age on January 1st of the year of entry or re-entry to college. People over 23 may apply to the CAO on the basis of their Leaving Cert results and, in this case, they are treated in the same manner as school-leavers, competing for places on the basis of points. It is the other group of mature applicants, who are not applying on the basis of points, to which the following information applies and to whom the phrase "mature applicant" is commonly applied.
College Choice did a straw poll of a number of colleges to see how mature applicants are assessed.
NUI Maynooth
In NUI Maynooth, applicants are asked to submit a curriculum vitae and two references directly to the college and to apply through the CAO. The admissions officer, Mr John McGinnity, says applicants should be aware that although they apply before February 1st, the applications must be processed by the CAO, and colleges are advised of the mature applicants only in mid-March.
NUI Maynooth usually receives in the order of 500 to 600 applications from mature students. A shortlist is compiled on the basis of the CAO form and the CV and a couple of hundred applicants are called to interview in April and May.
When you fill out your CAO form you list courses in order of preference. This will not affect the outcome of your interview. The fact that you may have put Maynooth at the top or bottom of your list of preferences will not even be mentioned, stresses Mr McGinnity.
The college makes a decision late in May or early in June and sends a letter of intent to applicants. The formal offer is made through the CAO, usually in round zero.
Applicants usually fall into three categories, says Mr McGinnity, those who are offered a place, those who are not made an offer but who are encouraged to do a course such as a return-to-learning programme and re-apply, and those who are offered a place subject to the results of an exam they are sitting. This group may include students who are taking a couple of Leaving Certificate subjects and, in this case, the college is usually looking for a pass. Nine out of 10 students in this group get the desired result, says Mr McGinnity.
NUI Maynooth has recently appointed a full-time mature student support officer who will assist students with their studies. At 10 per cent, the college has one of the highest percentage of mature students at undergraduate level, according to Mr McGinnity.
Tallaght IT
Dr Dermot Douglas, registrar of Tallaght IT, says the college offers mature students the option of studying on a full-time basis or part-time. Part-time students will follow the National Council for Educational Awards ACCS programme. This allows them to follow a course from entry-level to the highest level at their own pace, he says. The sting in the tail is that they must pay tuition fees. Prospective part-time students should apply directly to the college. Mature students applying for full-time courses do so through the CAO. The statement that students make on page four of their CAO application form is very important to us, says Dr Douglas. It gives us some idea of their motivation and preparation. He says people who have taken some adult education courses, special interest courses or Leaving Certificate subjects put themselves at an advantage. The college may give credit for relevant prior learning (including skills or knowledge acquired at work or voluntary work) so it may be possible to gain exemptions from modules or subjects.
Tallaght IT does not normally call mature applicants for interview. The college reserves 10 per cent of the places on each course for mature students. Applicants last year ranged in age from 23 to 69. There is no age bias, says Dr Douglas and the two oldest applicants last year were both offered a place. Offers are made in round one of the CAO offers process.
University of Limerick
Mature students apply directly to the college and are assessed on the basis of their application form and an interview. The closing date for applications is April 1st. Interviews are usually held in May and June.
The college aims to make an offer to students as soon as possible, so if everything is straightforward an offer is usually made in July, according to the admissions office. There are no set quotas for mature students.
NUI Galway
Mature students apply through the CAO. Prof Nollaig Mac Congail says all applicants will be called to an information and assessment day in early April. There will be a formal information session, introducing the college and its courses to the applicants. This will be followed by a written assessment - the format has yet to be decided.
Offers will be made soon after the information day, says Prof Mac Congail, and these offers will be based on the information supplied on the CAO form and the score applicants achieve in the assessment test.
Ten per cent of places in arts are allocated to mature students. Other faculties aspire towards 10 per cent but there are difficulties in the engineering and science areas where lack of numerical skills may cause problems. In order to facilitate these students, NUI Galway and Galway Mayo IT provide an access course in maths.
"Everybody is trying to find the best possible way of assessing mature students' applications and of making this process as transparent as possible," he says. NUI Galway has a full-time mature student officer and a full-time access officer.
Waterford IT
Mature students apply through the CAO. Applicants are contacted in April and everyone is called to interview in May, says Ms Claire Murphy of the admissions office. Students can contact the college two or three weeks later to find out how they fared. Offers are made in round zero. There is a quota of 10 per cent per course. Students should find out as much as possible about the course, and if they have done relevant work experience they should bring references and details of what they did, she says.
Galway Mayo IT
Again, students apply through the CAO and all mature applicants are called to interview in mid-May. Offers are made in round zero but students may contact the college prior to this and they may be given some indication of their ranking.
Dublin City University
Mature applicants apply directly to DCU before the closing date of April 2nd. Mr Barry Kehoe, director of student services, says all applicants are interviewed and the college aims to make offers in early summer so that students have time to get their affairs in order.
DCU does not operate upper quotas. "We will offer a place to all mature applicants who we feel will benefit from the degree. We take prior experiential learning, relevant experience and attainments into account," says Mr Kehoe.
Diary dates
`Never too late to graduate" is the title of UCD's information evening on Friday, January 22nd which focuses on the college's modular BA programme.
Guide for mature students 1999
The Department of Education has issued the sixth edition of a useful guide for mature students. The 1999 booklet lists all of the colleges and details the proportion of places set aside for mature students in 1999. It also give information on selection procedures.
The guide is free and available from Ms Elaine O'Hara at CDU, Sundrive Road, Dublin 12. Tel: (01) 453 5485
Prospective mature students should contact the admissions office of the colleges to which they are applying. Many of the colleges have additional information which they can send to applicants.
Helpline
Students, parents and teachers with queries about colleges, courses and application procedures are invited to call the College Choice helpline between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. today. Tel: (01) 679 2099.