EXCEPTIONAL LATE APPLICATIONS (EXCEPTION TO THE TIMETABLE)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5:15pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2021 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply, and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course, you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Maynooth University and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these six HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
To make an Exceptional Late Application you must:
Make your CAO application at www.cao.ie
Go to www.cao.ie, click on Apply, and follow the instructions for Exceptional Late Applications. This facility opens on the 3 July at noon.
Make your CAO application online before 22 July at 5:15pm. Do not enter course choices online.
Download the Course Choices form and instructions from the Downloads section of www.cao.ie
Go to the Admissions Office of your current institution and inform them that you wish to apply to CAO
Complete the Course Choices Form, including your full list of course choices in genuine order of preference. The Course Choices Form must be stamped by the Admissions Office.
Post the completed Course Choices Form to CAO and include your CAO application number on the front of the form. The form must arrive in CAO no later than 22 July at 5:15pm
Confirmation of application
CAO will post a Statement of Application Record to you after the 22 July closing date, once your application has been recorded. If you have not received this statement by 1 August, please contact CAO immediately.
Change of Mind:
The exceptional Change of Mind closing date of 22 July at 5:15pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2021, in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed above), and who previously made an application through CAO for 2021 entry. In order to avail of the Exceptional Change of Mind facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.
Applicants must complete a paper Change of Mind form (contact CAO to request a form) and, once completed, this form needs to be brought to the Admissions Office of your current institution to be stamped. The form must then be returned to CAO by 22 July at 5:15pm. There is no fee for this service.
- CAO Handbook
- Top
- Download CAO Handbook
- Important Changes to CAO Handbook
- Summary of Major Stages of the CAO Application Process
- Introduction
- Applying to CAO
- Application Dates and Fees
- Late Applications
- Reapplying to CAO
- Categories of Qualifications and Assessments
- Applying for a Maintenance Fee Grant (SUSI)
- Exemptions
- Introducing your Course Choices
- Applying for HEAR and DARE
- Sending Supporting Documents to CAO
- Summer 2021 Examination Results
- Interviews and Assessments
- After Applying
- Interacting with your CAO Account
- Important Correspondence
- Statement of Application Record
- Change of Mind
- Changes to your Personal and Examination Information
- The Offer Stage
- The Offer Rounds
- Accepting an Offer
- Available Places
- Points Calculation for Leaving Certificate Applicants
- Points Calculation for Other Examinations
- Deferring A Place
- Taking up a Deferral
- The Leaving Certificate Appeals Process
- Registration on your Accepted Course
- Direct Applications and Exceptional Late Applications
- Further Information - Online Resources
- General Principles
- Independent Appeals Commission
- Contacting CAO