Going to college: The notion that all the smart people go for medicine is "a myth", says the CAO.
Lots of Leaving Cert students who achieve high points and could do medicine have the wisdom to do what attracts them rather than courses they believe they should do because they have the points.
There is a notion out there that if you don't take a course which requires all your points, you are "wasting' points". But points are not a currency to be spent.
Many people with very high points are applying for courses such as arts. Indeed, many of those going into science have enough points to do medicine. The minimum needed for medicine is 570 points. However, sensibly, they have applied for what they really want.
The Irish Times asked the CAO what the situation would be if there were only the same number of places available in arts as in medicine.
A spokesman said they had looked at three universities. In the first, the last person to get into arts would have had 500 points; in the second, 510; and in the third, 520. In other words, exceptionally able students are entering arts (and every other faculty) with very high points.
The myth that people with high points only choose to do medicine is just that - a myth.
For example, last year TCD set a points requirement of 390 for maths, but those applying had a median surplus of 90, which means they had 480 points. So some students with points in the high 500s chose this option.
At DIT, the minimum points needed for culinary arts was 240, but students with points in the 400s went for this degree.
At UCC, at least 330 points were required for European Studies, but students with up to 500 points applied for the course.
At NUI Galway, 320 points was the entry level requirement for science, yet on average, students applying had 385 points - so many had scored in the high 400s and more.
On the helpline yesterday, Sile Sheehy and I received many calls from students who had got one of their top three preferences - their first choice in many cases - yet didn't want to take it.
Some of them had not researched the course before hand and were panicking.
Others had been convinced when they filled in their CAO form that the course they chose was what they wanted because it required high points, but when the reality hit them they realised they didn't want the course at all.
Parents were asking about the consequences of dropping out - which is what 18 per cent of first-years do. If you drop out before January 31st, you will have to pay half of the tuition of the new course you start the following September.
After January 31st, you have to pay the full tuition.
Deferring, going to the UK, resitting the Leaving Cert and reapplying next year are all possibilities.
Unfortunately, these are all options being taken at the last minute by some students who didn't think through the consequences of their choices.
The irony is that we get calls from students unhappy to be in the very courses that other students are weeping over because they did not get into them.
The CAO says that most applicants are using the system "intelligently", since most get one of their first three preferences.
But too often, students find that they actually don't want one of their first three preferences when they actually get them.
The root of the problem seems to be that 17- and 18-year-olds are being asked to specialise too soon.
They are not ready to say goodbye to subjects they have barely tasted, so that they can intensely study subjects that they as yet know very little about.
Kathryn Holmquist's column will continue next week. The Irish Times Second Round Offers supplement will appear on Tuesday, September 2nd.
Sile Sheehy, careers counsellor, and Kathryn
Holmquist will be available for advice on the helpline at 1-850-200592/3 today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.