9th Mar 2016

6,275 applicants did not fill out course choices on CAO

A worrying rise in the number of CAO applicants who did not fill out their course choices is a feature of this year’s figures, the Irish Independent reports.

Some 6,275 aspiring college students who registered with the CAO before the February 1 deadline did not list their preferences. It represents about 8pc of all applicants, a proportion that has been growing steadily over the past decade but most significantly in more recent years. In 2007 only 1.3pc of CAO applications did not list their first preferences.

CAO applicants have until July 1 to submit their choices, but the large number of “don’t knows” at this stage raises concerns about why students are not ready to fill out the form before the main deadline.

Full story here.