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

https://www.qualifax.ie/

Money and College Costs

https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/

Course search site for courses

https://careersportal.ie/courses/simple_search.php

Information on graduate jobs, Ireland

https://gradireland.com/

Colleges in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales

https://www.ucas.com/

Colleges in Europe

https://www.eunicas.ie/

Further Education and Training course hub (PLC courses)

https://www.fetchcourses.ie/

Apprenticeships

https://apprenticeship.ie/

Other useful Irish websites

Gardaí

Science

Teaching

Tourism

Nursing

Careers in STEM

Law

 

www.garda.ie

www.science.ie

www.teachingcouncil.ie

www.failteireland.ie

https://www.nmbi.ie/Home

https://www.smartfutures.ie/

https://www.lawsociety.ie/

 

 

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 

  1. Personal details 
  1. Contact & residency details 
  1. Nationality details 
  1. Supporting information 
  1. English language skills 
  1. Finance & funding 
  1. 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: 

  1. Unconditional — You’ve already met all the entry requirements and have a confirmed place if you choose it as your firm choice. 
  1. 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/