By Kim O'Leary
Many of the 2,625 Kildare students who received their Leaving Certificate results last week will be offered places at third level this morning.
First round offers went live on the CAO’s website at 6am, and the offers are also being issued by post, e-mail and SMS text.
The first round offers courses at levels six, seven and eight, and more than 52,000 applicants will receive an offer.
Students hoping to study construction, technology or engineering at third level may find an increase in the number of points required. The other areas which saw the biggest increase in student application numbers include nursing, architecture, business and pharmacy.
The increased points reflects the sectors of the economy that are recovering, with students adjusting their first preference based on the changing job market.
Points for engineering is at a record high, with the points for engineering jumping by 75 points to 490 at UCC. Meanwhile, UCD and Trinity have both seen a five-point rise for engineering, with courses up to 515 and 500 respectively.
Only NUIG’s engineering degree has decreased slightly, down from 450 to 445.
Any applicants who do not receive an offer will receive a Statement of Application Record, and they will have another chance for offers in the second round on Thursday September 1.
For students feeling worried about their options, they can contact the CAO by telephone at 091 509 800 and its opening hours are 9.30am to 1pm, and 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The CAO can also be contacted via e-mail at www.cao.ie .
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