Leaving Certs 2021– Focus on key dates & deadlines for CAO
Life is difficult for so many people at the moment as the country comes to terms with a surge in Covid cases. Health is by far the biggest priority for everyone at the moment and rightly so. That said, for students who will not now be returning to school as planned recent developments have understandably meant greater anxiety, particularly among Leaving Certs. So we return to one of the key messages from experts around dealing with uncertainty, that is we need to focus on what is within our control and try to let go of what is outside of it.
As a Leaving Cert student you do have the capacity to control your own study & revision, your course research and college applications. As we head into CAO season it is really important to focus your attention on researching college courses and careers if you haven’t already done so and it will hopefully lift your spirits to think of the next stage of your journey when things are brighter later in 2021. Use your time wisely to research the detail of the courses that interest you by checking out the module details on the college websites. You should also getting familiar with how the CAO process works by accessing the excellent student resources available on www.cao.ie
If you are having difficulty trying to decide on courses don’t panic, you will have plenty of time to change your mind before July 1st. For now the important thing is to make sure you meet those all-important key dates and application deadlines.
January 20th @ 5.15pm – Deadline for CAO discounted application fee (€30) on www.cao.ie
January 20th @ 5.15pm – Deadline for registration for the HPAT exam required for applying for medicine on https://hpat-ireland.acer.org/register
January 29th – Deadline for UCAS applications for entry to college is the UK on www.ucas.com (This has been extended from January 15th)
February 1st @ 5.15pm- Normal closing date for CAO applications (€45) and the online facility to change course choices for free closes. Courses that are restricted should be added in by this deadline. Students who wish to apply for HEAR or DARE must have applied to CAO by this deadline. The closing date for completion of the online HEAR/DARE forms is March 1st @ 5.15pm. Supporting documentation for both schemes must be sent to CAO by March 15th @5.15pm. Full details of both schemes is available on www.accesscollege.ie
May 1st @5.15pm - Closing date for Late Applications with fee of €60. No applications are accepted after this date.
May 5th - CAO Change of Mind facility opens allowing applicants to change courses choices including adding in new choices once they are not ‘Restricted’ .
July 1st @ 5.15pm - CAO Change of Mind facility closes. No further changes can be made to CAO choices after this deadline.
While dates are correct at the time of publishing this blog, in the current climate it is important to consult the relevant websites for the most up to date information.
This is always a busy and stressful time for 6th year students and with all that is happening around Covid-19 and the return to remote learning this stress is magnified. All you can do is try to control what is within your control, to try to organize and structure your study as you adapt once again to remote learning and focus on the plans you have for after school. This part of your journey is challenging but there are brighter days ahead!