The results are in but whats the next step? Emma Donnelly from the UCD Admissions Office offers some advice to students applying to UCD
So you have your Leaving Certificate results, you’ve calculated your points score &…now what??
First of all – congratulations on your results and for crossing that final finishing line of secondary school!
On Monday 20 August ‘Round 1’ offers will issue via CAO. You can check your CAO application online www.cao.ie from 6am or you can wait and see what the post-man puts through the letter box.
Also on 20 August, a UCD information pack will be posted out to every applicant who receives a UCD offer. This pack will have all the information you need to get you registered as a UCD student.
Accepting an offer with UCD?
Fantastic!
It takes about 48 hours for a CAO acceptance to process onto our systems here in UCD. This means that if you accept an offer on Monday 20 August you will be able to start the registration process on Wednesday 22 August.
We will send a welcome email to all of the acceptances we receive with links to the ‘New Students’ website http://www.ucd.ie/students/newstudents/index.html and other important things to remember.
This website will be a one-stop-shop for all your registration, orientation and ‘new student’ questions!
Thinking about deferring your offer?
Really happy with the course you’ve been offered but maybe aren’t ready to start just yet? That’s no problem, for most courses we can offer a deferral of your offer until September 2019. http://www.ucd.ie/registry/admissions/deferral.html
You will need to request a deferral in writing. You can do this by filling in the deferral request form at http://www.ucd.ie/registry/admissions/deferralreq.html or by emailing admissions@ucd.ie with your CAO application number and the reason you are asking for the deferral.
If you send an email you will need to make sure that you send it from the email address you listed on your CAO application form – this is just a security check to make sure the request is from you!
We have a quota of places for deferrals so its best if you can get the request in as soon as possible and before the reply date for accepting the offer (Friday 24 August).
We try to look after everyone but there are certain instances where we can’t approve a deferral:
- If you are going to attend another third-level institution in Ireland or abroad
- If you are repeating the Leaving Certificate Examination with the intention of applying for a different course
- If the quota of deferred places has been filled.
Once we have processed your deferral request we will let you know the decision. If your deferral request is approved an official letter will be sent to you in the post confirming the deferral and explaining how to take up your deferred place next year.
If you decide that you want to take up the deferred place, you must re-apply through the CAO by 1 February, placing the deferred course as your first and only preference. Deferral offers are issued in early July the following year and must be accepted in the normal way.
No offer from CAO?
Unfortunately it’s not possible to offer everyone a place. For most courses there will be competition for places and this means that applicant’s who have a higher points score will be considered first.
If you didn’t get an offer and you think you should have:
- Check your results on CAO– are all your results showing?
- Do you meet the basic entry requirements such as Irish?
- If you have an Irish exemption does it show (IRS X)
- Do you have all the subject requirements? (Check www.ucd.ie/lc)
- Are you counting more than 6 subjects?
- Is it on random selection?
If none of the above resolves it, contact us at admissions@ucd.ie – include your CAO number in the email.
Other options:
Entry to UCD doesn’t always have to be from the Leaving Certificate or on your points.
UCD offers different entry routes to almost all undergraduate degree programmes such as QQI-FET, Access, Mature and Graduate Entry.
Check out the UCD Prospectus or www.ucd.ie/admissions for all the different options. If you have any questions on other entry pathways please get in touch. Email: admissions@ucd.ie
Whatever route you take we look forward to welcoming you to UCD to begin, or continue, your academic adventure!
