Irish Uni Entrance requirements what the feck!?

Original post by thetobbit

I've recently been researching some courses in Irish universities like Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin and ive notced a strange trend.
For example, to get into physiotherapy, the average candidate does gets 4 A's at A2 (yes four) while in contrast physiotherapy at liverpool or university of ulster needs only 3 B's. (I live in northern ireland)

I mean I would understand if ucd or trinity asked for 3 A's at the most (if they really are amazing uni's) but to ask for 4 A'2s from GCE candidates for a non-high brow course like physio is down right mad :angry:

. The average smart a-level candidate in NI comes out with something around 3 good A2's; people rarely do 4 unless they do further maths or some stuff.

Am i missing something, are people from the republic of ireland friggin genius'? Or is the system just terribly flawed.

Cheers for reading,

Tom

The irish system gives you a score of points up to 600 based on your best 6 exams in the leaving cert (Irish equiv to A Levels).

Therefore A levels have to be converted to leaving cert points. A* is worth 150, A is worth 135, B is 120 etc.. If you don't take 4 A2's is significantly harder but you also get points is you've got a 4th AS level that you've dropped, i think an A is roughly 60 points.

Reply 3

That's not true, Medicine in Ireland has its own way of dealing with things compared to all other subjects.

Though saying that the average A levels for a dental science applicant was 4A*'s at Trinty last year.

Reply 4

Dusty12

13

I think they (unreasonably, imo) expect 4 A2s or equivalent because in the Irish Leaving Cert. more subjects are studied. I suppose they figure that if Irish students do at least six subjects, then 4 A2s shouldn't be too much of a problem. It isn't fair, but I'd guess that's the reasoning.
I think they really should reassess how A-level candidates are judged. Under the current system, someone with A*A*A would have less of a chance of being accepted than someone with AABB. :erm:

Reply 5

Original post by Dusty12

I think they (unreasonably, imo) expect 4 A2s or equivalent because in the Irish Leaving Cert. more subjects are studied. I suppose they figure that if Irish students do at least six subjects, then 4 A2s shouldn't be too much of a problem. It isn't fair, but I'd guess that's the reasoning.
I think they really should reassess how A-level candidates are judged. Under the current system, someone with A*A*A would have less of a chance of being accepted than someone with AABB. :erm:

IMO, its a good way of getting around the EU laws and limiting the amount of foreign students going to irish universities.

Reply 6

sean2011

Irish colleges are making it harder for students from the north and the UK because of the implications from the Tuition Fees going up to 9,000. This is probably why the requirements are much higher plus the fact that Irish Leaving Cert students do more subjects at that level then A Level sudents!

Reply 7

Dusty12

13

Yeah, I don't think the tuition fee increase it the cause of this, since the entry requirements were like this before the increase, but it will definitely be more difficult from now on. More A-Level students will apply and I'll be extremely surprised if the required grades don't increase. =S

Reply 8

We're all just extremely clever. Especially us Kerrymen.
On a more serious note, it's not just physio with disproportionately high points, I'm applying for English and Ancient Greek at Trinity, and I need at least 530 points. However as somebody said, the system is probably more geared towards students from the Republic - and it is true that on average, kids do about 7 subjects for the Leaving Cert. I'm doing 8, and believe me that's tough enough at Honours level.

Reply 9

Original post by Oenone

We're all just extremely clever. Especially us Kerrymen.

You've nothing on us Mayo men.

Well except the football skills of course. :frown:

Reply 10

Original post by gozatron

You've nothing on us Mayo men.

Well except the football skills of course. :frown:

(Technically I'm female. Mayo is where the ancestors be (Claremorris woo), and yes, Kerry really does crush you at football :colone:

)

Where art thou applying for university?

Reply 11

Original post by Oenone

(Technically I'm female. Mayo is where the ancestors be (Claremorris woo), and yes, Kerry really does crush you at football :colone:

)

Where art thou applying for university?

Claremorris :biggrin:

I'm a Ballyhaunis lad.

In a wannabe Medic, just like 99% of all leaving cert takers.. :p:

Reply 12

Sprockette

15

Original post by gozatron

Claremorris :biggrin:

I'm a Ballyhaunis lad.

In a wannabe Medic, just like 99% of all leaving cert takers.. :p:

Really? Cool, I've never seen anyone online from near home :smile:

I'm from Ballaghaderreen (though Edinburgh is home now) but my mum is from Ballyhaunis.

Are you expecting to get 580/600 points..? *is awed* :tongue:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

Original post by gozatron

Claremorris :biggrin:

I'm a Ballyhaunis lad.

In a wannabe Medic, just like 99% of all leaving cert takers.. :p:

Pants! We're practically neighbours in an ancestral kind of way :wink:

Argh, there is that expectation alright, which is why I decided to buck the trend, go against everyone's wishes and apply for a useless (but very very interesting) course which will culminate in my being bearded and penniless on the streets of some European city. Perhaps I'll do a Beckett and exile myself in Paris. Hurrah!

As a matter of interest, did you apply for Oxford too? I stalked your TSR profile a few minutes ago, and noticed the sacred word. I failed to get in (my fault for going for a course with only one place per college methinks), therefore applying to the Trinner Winner. I am a rural culchie with a penchant for toffish universities it seems :colone:

Reply 14

Original post by Oenone

As a matter of interest, did you apply for Oxford too? I stalked your TSR profile a few minutes ago, and noticed the sacred word. I failed to get in (my fault for going for a course with only one place per college methinks), therefore applying to the Trinner Winner.

I did indeed apply to Oxford, on a whim of course :h:

I don't think i ever expected to grace its beautiful halls (I applied to New College :coma:

its amazing!) but i thought it was worth a try. :dontknow:

Aaah, Trinty :love:

Mind you, i'd be glad just to get into Galway at the rate i'm going!

Original post by Oenone

I am a rural culchie with a penchant for toffish universities it seems :colone:

Aren't we all...

Reply 15

Original post by gozatron

I did indeed apply to Oxford, on a whim of course :h:

I don't think i ever expected to grace its beautiful halls (I applied to New College :coma:

its amazing!) but i thought it was worth a try. :dontknow:

Aaah, Trinty :love:

Mind you, i'd be glad just to get into Galway at the rate i'm going!

Aren't we all...

I applied to Marvellous Merton, then got shunted to Oriel which disliked me intensely therefore got sent to Regent's Park. One interviewer was extremely perplexed when I told him that in Ireland, we speak English :wink:

Yes I am catastrophically lazy, I haven't actually started revising properly yet. I winged the pres, did moderately well (500) but woe is me because that isn't enough for my course.

Galway's a nice enough uni isn't it? I think a friend of mine has that down for med - after Trinity and UCD - but it's a lovely city no? I like the aquarium... :colone:

Reply 16

Original post by Oenone

I applied to Marvellous Merton, then got shunted to Oriel which disliked me intensely therefore got sent to Regent's Park. One interviewer was extremely perplexed when I told him that in Ireland, we speak English :wink:

Yes I am catastrophically lazy, I haven't actually started revising properly yet. I winged the pres, did moderately well (500) but woe is me because that isn't enough for my course.

Galway's a nice enough uni isn't it? I think a friend of mine has that down for med - after Trinity and UCD - but it's a lovely city no? I like the aquarium... :colone:

It's a lovely city and fantastic for students but there's no justification for asking the rents to shell out €€€ to live in halls when home is only 30-45 minutes away and there's a bus eireann winging it's way past my house to Galway every couple of hours. That's why I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Trinty or UCD!

Reply 17

WaSaDa

You should both come to Galway, it's a great little town and has been sunny for at least the last 2 months!

But back to the question of getting into Irish universities. As has been stated, Irish students do 7 subjects in the Leaving Cert and the top 6 are added together to give you a CAO score out of 600. So, when the Leaving Cert results come out that big computer in the CAO building lists all the applicants for a course according to the number of CAO points that they got. The points that the last person who got into a course had is what we refer to as the 'points for course x,y, or z'. The universities lay down the (fairly low) matriculation standards and agree on the number of places available but after that don't have control over who gets in or not. The average points for a course have no impact, they're just a point of interest that the papers print.

Now, from what I know of the system, they 'translate' UK grades into Irish points. I believe the A*=150 points is actually based on the fact that UK universities (think it was Oxford) decided the Leaving Cert was wort 2/3s of an A Level. So I don't think that it was the government (of which I am certainly no cheerleader) trying to stop the number of EU students.

Hope everyone is successful in their applications.

Reply 18