Leaving Certificate Students Career Guidance
The Guidance Counsellor will meet with all Leaving Certificate students individually during their final school year to discuss their options post Leaving Certificate. Leaving Certificate students can avail of as many career appointments as they need in their final year of school. All Leaving Certificate students are timetabled for either LCVP or Career Guidance each week. The students are encouraged to engage in career investigations and to research careers and courses that interest them.
Useful Career Research Websites
Official CAO site |
https://www.cao.ie/ |
Up to date details of Irish courses Qualifax |
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Money and College Costs |
https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/ |
Course search site for courses |
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Information on graduate jobs, Ireland |
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Colleges in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales |
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Colleges in Europe |
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Further Education and Training course hub (PLC courses) |
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Apprenticeships |
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Other useful Irish websites Gardaí Science Teaching Tourism Nursing Careers in STEM Law |
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Leaving Certificate Grading System
Careers Portal Points Calculator: https://careersportal.ie/courses/calculator/pointsCalculator.html
Applying to colleges in the United Kingdom: Apply via https://www.ucas.com/
What is UCAS?
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is an independent charity and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education.
Where to start?
There is a short, informative video which helps summarize the UCAS process on the Classroom Guidance website (www.classroomguidance.ie) under the ‘video guides’ tab.
Next stop
UCAS website www.ucas.com- you will find most of your questions answered under the ‘undergraduate’ tab.
What’s involved in the application?
This process takes quite a bit of time and effort so start in good time (now!) particularly for the 15th October deadline as you need to secure references, predicted grades and write a personal statement. There are 7 steps and 6 sections to the online application;
SECTION 1
- Personal details
- Contact & residency details
- Nationality details
- Supporting information
- English language skills
- Finance & funding
- More about you
SECTION 2
Input 5 university choices- no need to put them in order of preference.
SECTION 3
Input any formal qualifications including your Junior certificate.
SECTION 4
Employment history
SECTION 5
Personal statement is a mini essay, and you explain why you have chosen to pursue this area of study. Make sure your courses are as similar as possible as you only get to write one personal statement for all 5 choices. Keep your statement as focused as possible. There are video guides on how to write a personal statement on the UCAS website.
SECTION 6
References can be completed by someone in your school who can support your application and verify the information you are submitting is correct. Alternatively, you can also ask someone outside of school to write your reference.
REMEMBER- hit the save button on each of the above sections otherwise you will have to re-do the section. You can log in and out of your application, completing each section at a time. Once you have this step completed, have a look at the remaining steps outlined below.
Seven steps to apply through UCAS
Step 1: Register with UCAS If you’re applying to a UK university for a full-time degree, foundation year or foundation degree, you’ll need to apply online through UCAS
Step 2: Prepare your UCAS application
Step 3: Apply by either 15th October 2024 or 29th January 2025 UCAS deadline
Step 4: Track your application
Step 5: Check your offers
Step 6: Accept your offer
Step 7: Check your place is confirmed
Step 1: Register with UCAS
Whatever university you are applying to for a full-time degree, foundation year or foundation degree, you’ll need to apply online through UCAS.
UCAS is the official application service for the UK. It will send your application to each of your chosen universities.
Top tip: Choose an email address you have easy access to. School emails are sometimes hard to get into in the summer holidays. You don’t want to miss an important message.
Application fee
UCAS will charge you for processing your application. The fee is £27.50 for 2024/25, and £28.50 for 2025/26.
They do not charge for handling your application.
Step 2: Prepare your UCAS application
When you register with UCAS they will give you a password and username so you can access your application whenever you like.
You will need to complete the online application, including your personal statement.
And your school or college will add the reference and send the application on to UCAS. Check when their deadline is — it may be earlier than the official UCAS deadline, if they need time to process lots of applications.
Most people draft their applications in stages. You can log into your UCAS account at any time to make updates.
You can only send one UCAS application each year but can choose up to five courses. They can be courses at different universities, or more than one course at the same university.
Check you’re using the correct institution and course codes for each choice.
Top tip: Check you have correctly listed the qualifications you’re doing. Getting this wrong happens more than you’d think and could be the difference between getting an offer or being unsuccessful.
Step 3: Apply by the January UCAS deadline
You must submit your UCAS application by the January deadline to be guaranteed equal consideration.
Check the key dates on the UCAS website.
You can still apply through UCAS after the January deadline. If we get your application by the end of June, it will be considered if there are places on your chosen course. Some of the most popular courses may already be full.
Applications made after June will have to go through clearing.
Step 4: Track your application
You can follow the progress of your application on your UCAS Hub.
Email updates will be sent to you and may ask you for more information if it is needed.
For some courses, offers are made based entirely on the content of your UCAS application. For others, you may be invited to attend an audition or an interview or ask you to submit a portfolio.
If you do not receive any offers from your initial UCAS application, you can apply to other courses through UCAS Extra.
You’ll be sent details of UCAS Extra if you’re eligible.
Step 5: Check your offers
You can check the progress of your application by logging into your UCAS Hub.
When you get offers, you’ll need to accept or decline them.
Your deadline for making a decision depends on when you applied and when the universities responded through UCAS.
Check your application to see your personal deadline on your Hub.
There are two different types of offer:
- Unconditional — You’ve already met all the entry requirements and have a confirmed place if you choose it as your firm choice.
- Conditional — Your place depends on meeting certain conditions, usually getting particular exam results. Details of your conditions will be in your offer.
Step 6: Accept your offer
You can accept offers from two courses:
- a firm choice
- an insurance choice
If you meet the requirements of your firm choice you’re expected to take that place. You need to be sure it’s the one you want to do.
If you do not get the grades for your firm choice and meet the requirements for your insurance choice, you will be expected to take up that place.
Once you are accepted by your firm choice (also known as being made unconditional), you will lose your insurance choice.
If you would prefer to go to your insurance choice, you must contact both universities as soon as possible to explore your options.
You’ll need to accept your offer through your UCAS Hub.
Step 7: Check your place is confirmed
You can check if your place is confirmed by logging into your UCAS Hub. UCAS will also email you to let you know.
When your place is confirmed depends on the type of offer you have.
Conditional offers
Most applicants get conditional offers and need their exam results to meet all our entry requirements.
This means UCAS can only confirm your place in August after your exam results are published.
Unconditional offers
If you’ve already met all of the entry requirements for the course, UCAS can make you an unconditional offer. You’re more likely to get an unconditional offer if you’ve already got your exam results.
As soon as you accept an unconditional offer, UCAS will confirm your place.
Tips on how to write a personal statement: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/writing-personal-statement/how-write-personal-statemen
College Open Days 2023/2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpi-GSVG4js
Applying to the CAO: https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=video
Going to college can be a very expensive process with fees, accommodation and living costs often amounting to considerable sums. It is important therefore to find out what funding options there may be out there for you. Some are means-tested but many others are not. Take some time to find out the options you may be eligible for:
Scholarships: https://careersportal.ie/scholarships
HEA funding: https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/
What is HEAR?
The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a higher education admissions scheme for Leaving Certificate students (under 23) whose economic or social background are underrepresented in higher education.
Eligibility criteria for HEAR can be accessed via the accesscollege.ie website: https://accesscollege.ie/hear/what-is-hear/
What is DARE?
DARE is a third level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2023 whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education.
Applicants to DARE can present with an Irish Leaving Certificate, A-Levels and/or other EU qualifications.
DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers who, as a result of having a disability, have experienced additional educational challenges in second level education.
Find out below if your disability is one considered under the DARE scheme.
Eligibility criteria for DARE can be accessed via the accesscollege.ie website: https://accesscollege.ie/dare/what-is-dare/