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Trinity College Dublin - Help!

I am an English student on a Gap Year, and am applying to TCD for Law and Political Science, amoungst other courses.

I am really confused by the application process and would really appreciate it if someone could help me out!

1. What form am I meant to fill in? I.e. do I need to get a CAO number and apply that way, or do

2. Having looked at the application form for non-EU students, I see that there is a page for "additional information supporting your application". Is this a mini-personal statement? Also, I am applying for some LLB courses, but others which are just BAs (TR015 Philsophy, political science, economics and sociolgy) - Will this count against me as being seen as having a lack of dedication to the course?

4. I have already got my A Level results (AAAA), does this mean I will get an offer eariler?

5. The form indicates that I am meant to say what I am doing in my gap year - does this need to be incorporated into what I put in the secton with any "additional information"?

I would seriously appreciate any advice!! xx

Reply 1

ceeeeej

13

irish students all go through the cao as its the only way to get into college directly after school but thats to do with the leaving cert points and stuff. i think foreign students apply directly but im not sure to be honest did you ring them to see what they say? seeing as you have your results i doubt you'd have to wait til august to know if you get accepted. not much help really sorry

Reply 2

Kevmeister

9

You are not a non-EU student.

See this. Give them a ring, they shouldn't be too busy right now.

Reply 3

Prince-Myshkin

7

sarcl

I am an English student on a Gap Year, and am applying to TCD for Law and Political Science, amoungst other courses.

I am really confused by the application process and would really appreciate it if someone could help me out!

1. You need to sign up to CAO in the same way that you did to UCAS and apply to TCD that way

2. I am an English student, also on a gap year, holding a defered offer for Economics and Philosophy at TCD. I filled in no forms at all :o:

4. No, everyone hears back around late August.

5. Again, i filled in no form. I thought for a period during my application last year that i would need to but on asking they said it didn't matter. I would check as it could have changed etc.

Reply 4

username153949

2

sarcl

I am an English student on a Gap Year, and am applying to TCD for Law and Political Science, amoungst other courses.

I am really confused by the application process and would really appreciate it if someone could help me out!

1. What form am I meant to fill in? I.e. do I need to get a CAO number and apply that way, or do

2. Having looked at the application form for non-EU students, I see that there is a page for "additional information supporting your application". Is this a mini-personal statement? Also, I am applying for some LLB courses, but others which are just BAs (TR015 Philsophy, political science, economics and sociolgy) - Will this count against me as being seen as having a lack of dedication to the course?

4. I have already got my A Level results (AAAA), does this mean I will get an offer eariler?

5. The form indicates that I am meant to say what I am doing in my gap year - does this need to be incorporated into what I put in the secton with any "additional information"?

I would seriously appreciate any advice!! xx

1) Go to www.cao.ie, and apply for an account. After that fill in your details. You would need to send CAO your GCSE and A level results (photocopies), but no personal statement is required.

2) You are an EU student, you said you are english right? So you would hold a British passport? So no PS required.
You can apply to any course you like in whatever order; none of the universities will be able to see what course you have applied for. CAO gives out unconditional offers in August based on your grades only.

I wouldn't worry too much if i were you, if you got AAAA during A levels you will almost definitely be given a place for English. I mean, AAAA is 600 points, people apply to medicine with that kind of grades.

4) No you will not get an offer earlier. The earliest you will get an offer is at round 1, right after the release of the Irish leaving certificate.

5) Can't help you with that, sorry.

Gimme a pm if you need a hand with anything regarding TCD and CAO!

Reply 5

StarsAreFixed

13

You are not a non-EU student. This section is afaik, usually used to prove that the student has a sufficient level of English- some cert or other. There is no personal statement, don't supply one. Your CAO number is assigned to you after you apply- it will come up directly after and the sequence is determined by who gets their first. It should start with 10 this year, weird. Trinity keeps this as your student number all through college. CAO is the middleman, TCD will only know of your existence and contact you AFTER you accept the offer that the CAO have ensured you have sufficient grades for. They will not know or care of anything else you apply for.

You can apply online (highly recommended) or by posting the CAO form. The deadline is Feb 1st- do your best to apply before January 25th or so- it ALWAYS crashes in the panic of the last few days. Which is hilarious because you can change all of your courses for free at a later date anyway, doesn't matter initially what you put down. It might seem like a cold impersonal system where you are essentially just a number but there's feck all unis (just 7) and other colleges IT's etc. in Ireland and it works very well in a small country.

There IS a round zero (end of july) for people who already have their results. You might get an offer then, but don't count on it. Otherwise, Round One isn't too far off from that- the Leaving results are out Wednesday the 15thish of August- and Round One the Monday after.

There really isn't personal information on the CAO form- name, school, exams being taken blah blah- I would think but could be wrong that if they want to know why you already have your results it could be to do with determining whether you're eligible for free fees (if you're a drop-out, you're not eligible). That doesn't really come under the CAO's business though-unless they pass it on? Not sure about that one.

Reply 6

hdillon1

i really really really want to go to Trinity for French and Spanish(ab initio) however I only do three A Levels though am predicted 3 A's, and at least one of those could be an A*. Do I have any chance at all in getting in!? I have applied anyway but would like to know what chance I have so I'm not too disappointed...

Reply 7

Nocturna

5

I think you should apply for Political Sciences (of all things) as a British Non-EU student... and please let me know the result.

Reply 8

StarsAreFixed

13

Original post by RS tomorrow

Sorry, didn't know where to post this so ill put it here. If I were to drop out of a uk university and then apply to college in ireland am I still eligible for free fees? I don't remember anywhere on the cao form where you had to state this sort of thing anyway. Am I right in thinking this drop out and reapply equals no free fees is only if you dropped out at an irish uni? Thanks for any help.

It actually depends on how long you take to drop out I think. You should be fine dropping out so soon. It is only really if you had completed a year or more than half of a year that they sting you for full fees for the first year of the new course. You then get free fees for the subsequent years of the degree. The half a year thing is to do with how free fees work in Irish universities- the government pays the second half of your fees in January, so that is seen as the point of no return. Obviously it is different in the UK. Please email CAO and ask them.

Reply 9

StarsAreFixed

13

Original post by RS tomorrow

Sorry I didn't make myslef clear. I've completed first year at a uk uni. If I drop out and get a place at tcd does this mean I have to pay full fees for first year and then its subsidized? How does cao know you dropped out anyway? As you seem to know your stuff; does cao require you to take all your a levels in one year? I currently have 3 a2s and one as. Will they accept me taking the as to a2 for points along with my 3 a2s I completed last year? Thanks again.

I am almost certain you will have to pay full fees for the first year. The other years will be under the free fees scheme. It is in place to stop abuse of it. But please contact CAO and ask them as I can't be 100% certain, especially from a UK uni. They will only accept results taken within the one year..ie. some in January and some in May or whatever. You cannot mix and match ones from different years for points purposes. This is because Irish students have to repeat all 7 subjects in one go if they need higher points, and all of those exams are in June. It is different if you needed a subject requirement- like a lanaguage, but not for points, they won't allow it.

Reply 10

StarsAreFixed

13

Original post by RS tomorrow

Hmm that might be problematic. What sort of point inflation isthere? Taking my 3 a2s and 1 as I have exactly the amount of points required for last year. Does it usually go up every year?

Usually very minimal but this year they introduced bonus points for honours maths (and bonus points for any maths for the UK) and it has driven up a lot of courses...arts stayed the same instead of dropping, engineering, maths etc. all shot up. If you have the exact points that's not a good thing, as for most courses you're not guaranteed a place as it will mean there's too many vying for the last place so they award that place on random selection. The maths bonus points thing really messed up points this year, hard to know at this point if they will keep that in place.

Trinity College Dublin - Help!

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