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CAO 2016: Where are all the applicants coming from?

There are over 80,000 people waiting to hear if they’ve landed their favoured college spot.

THIS YEAR HAS seen a slight increase in the number of applicants hoping to enter an Irish third-level institution through the CAO system.

Figures released by the Central Applications Office (CAO) show that 80,887 applicants got their details into the office in time to be counted on this year’s Round One offers. That’s up slightly on last year’s aggregate number of applicants, 79,214.

You might think that the vast majority of these would be candidates coming straight from sitting the Leaving Certificate exams earlier this year but in fact the breakdown shows that many people are returning to education, coming from abroad or finding a path to further education through other schemes.

Most of the applicants came from the following categories:

  • 47,654 applicants to the CAO sat the Leaving Cert this year. (There are 21,383 applicants who applied using a Leaving Cert achieved between 1985 and 2015.)
  • 2,193 applicants are using A-Levels achieved in Northern Ireland and Great Britain
  • 16,064 applicants presented QQI FET/FETAC (NCVA) qualifications
  • 4,869 presented other Further Education (FE) awards
  • 4,180 applied using school leaving exams other than LC, QQI FET/FETAC or GC(S)E

Other interesting stats around the path through education taken by applicants:

  • 11,555 of the applicants were mature students (over 23 years of age)
  • There were 5,402 applicants to the DARE scheme
  • And 11,528 applicants to the HEAR scheme

And, in case you think you were alone in finding CAO decisions difficult, know that there were 62,178 changes submitted by 43,429 applicants.

TheJournal.ie has today published all of the Round One points in handy-to-check online tables. Check them out here.

All the latest CAO 2016 news>

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Karla Carroll
    Favourite Karla Carroll
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 7:16 AM

    Does any one know (for future reference) is the Dare Scheme route actually beneficial ?

    In two year my daughter is eligible to apply through the scheme due to a long term chronic illness, however I have heard that they still need to get top points and many don’t get in.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute john mooney
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 7:57 AM

    I did my leaving cert a few years ago and with the scheme you only get I think 40 extra points but colleges have to leave so many places open to dare students. But you must get the points too

    19
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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
    Favourite Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:23 AM

    I thought Dare and Here schemes meant you didnt have to meet the minnium points just the minnium grade. But if it helps use it even 40 points can mean the difference of getting in to a course you want.

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    Mute Patrick mulvey
    Favourite Patrick mulvey
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 10:27 AM

    It’s up to 100 points. Each college sets what percent of here and dare they let it to each course. Normally around ten percent. Well worth getting.

    4
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    Mute Marie Carberry
    Favourite Marie Carberry
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:46 PM

    I found DARE absolutely useless for my son who has a chronic illness.
    When we were told he wasn’t eligible for help, I asked for proof of medical qualifications from the person who said no and I was told that no medical personal had seen his application.
    It ended up he took a year out and went then to the same college as his younger brother to get the support he should have got from DARE.

    1
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