C A O. Three letters that send shivers down the spine of every sixth year in Ireland and provide vivid flashbacks to all those who have sat the Leaving Cert before them.
Every year, without fail, there is a media frenzy as the nation’s eyes turn to see the biggest movers in terms of courses according to the CAO’s system of supply and demand. This has been the case for a while now.
Highly sought-after courses with a limited number of places see their entry requirements soar while those less demanded courses or courses with much more places available see their requirements fall to a much more attainable level.
This system has been called into question many times over the years and perhaps none more so than this year.
For the last two cycles of the Leaving Cert exams, the option of predicted grades has been given to the sitting students as COVID threatened the feasibility of in-person exams.
While a responsible and health-conscious decision, the results have exposed what has been a glaring issue with the current system with which the CAO operates under.
Points went up dramatically and thus previously hard-to-reach entry requirements became even harder. In some cases, students getting 625 points, the maximum one can get in the Leaving Cert, were getting turned away from their first options.
All of this to say that the CAO, now maybe more than ever, causes our Leaving Cert students all kinds of anxiety and stress.
That is why we at Portobello Institute strive to put those anxious minds at ease.
No CAO at Portobello Institute
In the name of making education accessible, the entry requirements for our courses are not dictated by demand. Yes, we have static entry requirements.
Before even getting your results, the stress of the CAO takes hold as it opens at the start of November.
Students are tasked with choosing which courses they want to do, often similar courses from multiple third-level institutions across the country.
This then creates a level of uncertainty right up until the publishing of results and the sending of offers.
Then comes the scramble to find accommodation and move up with all of a month before the course starts.
But imagine a world where you could have that offer secured months in advance before the ink of your pen wets the page of your first exam?
That’s exactly what we offer here at Portobello Institute.
You can get in touch with our admissions team and secure a conditional offer as early as November of your sixth and final year of secondary school.
And while we absolutely want you to go and achieve the best results you can in your Leaving Cert, we also know how stressful the time can be, and with a conditional offer you can take at least some of the stress away from those dreaded exams.
So, why wait? Get in contact with our admissions team and see how you can secure your conditional offer today! Our team is here to guide you to the right course for you, we have the time to get to know you individually and see if there is a course to get you on the path to your dream career.
At Portobello we are making education accessible, but that does not mean we are an alternative choice.
Click here to find out why Leaving Cert high-achievers made Portobello their first choice.
We offer courses at different levels in Sport, Business of Fashion, Early Years, SNA and Travel and Tourism.
