https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626xq2n2jxo
Only 213 students from the 6 took up college places in the south in 2025? I find that hard to believe. Has that trended down? I knew 200 nordies 20 years ago in university.
That said I only know 1 person from the south who did a degree up north.
The points piece is interesting but it has always been the way that we do 7/8 Leaving Cert subjects and in the 6 3 A Levels. Why is this now a thing?
The article is a bit of a mess, Galway is too expensive so I am off to London,the CAO system is too complicated but if you spend time figuring it out it's easier and so on.
Didn't read the article but a friend of mine his daughter wanted to go to Trinity or UCD not sure which one, but he said that she could only get in if there was any spaces available after the locals took theirs..
Purely anecdotal, just in case ;D
Accommodation costs surely a huge part of it as well.
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 03:07:18 PMDidn't read the article but a friend of mine his daughter wanted to go to Trinity or UCD not sure which one, but he said that she could only get in if there was any spaces available after the locals took theirs..
Purely anecdotal, just in case ;D
Not true. They (as with any 'foreign' students) apply using the same process, just the points are calculated differently.
I understand that it's the other way round with conditional offers prior to the exams
Quote from: gallsman on May 11, 2026, 03:13:10 PMAccommodation costs surely a huge part of it as well.
I get Coleraine is cheaper than Cork, but that doesn't explain why some students go to London or Edinburgh instead.
Accommodation more expensive in the south yeah, but the fees are almost half.
The timing of results is the key thing.
Students get their results in north a lot earlier therefore, they take the courses offered to them asap. Basically first come first serve rather than wait for offers from the south.
That way they can get sorted re: accomodation etc.
University fees are cheaper in south but finding a place to stay and living costs are a lot higher obviously.
Quote from: marty34 on May 11, 2026, 05:32:05 PMThe timing of results is the key thing.
Students get their results in north a lot earlier therefore, they take the courses offered to them asap. Basically first come first serve rather than wait for offers from the south.
That way they can get sorted re: accomodation etc.
University fees are cheaper in south but finding a place to stay and living costs are a lot higher obviously.
So if you accept the place in the north or Britain you have to pay up? Makes more sense, but I am still flabbergasted that only 200 nordies take places. That's a quarter of a percent of the 80,000 1st year college places
Quote from: lurganblue on May 11, 2026, 03:48:20 PMAccommodation more expensive in the south yeah, but the fees are almost half.
And much less than half when compared to England.
The results thing is a definite issue, as Leaving Cert results in the 26 counties have been greatly delayed in recent years.
But it is down to poor career guidance in many cases. You get people who will apply to TCD and UCD, but not to DCU, Maynooth or TUID, Sliog or Letterkenny, and will then pay €9000 to go to some ex polytech in England.
Maybe the uncertainty of getting the course you want due to the timing the cost of living and being classed as a foreigner is keeping people from the north of the island away..
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 07:25:07 PMMaybe the uncertainty of getting the course you want due to the timing the cost of living and being classed as a foreigner is keeping people from the north of the island away..
Nobody is classed as a foreigner. Some people would be uncertain about their course, but if their grades are well clear of the points required that uncertainty is largely hypothetical.
Irish students and other EU applicants receive priority for college places via the CAO system, as places are allocated based on Leaving Certificate points rather than residency, and CAO offers are designed to give applicants their highest preference possible.
Key details regarding preference and placement:Highest Preference First:
In Round One, students are offered the highest preference course for which they are eligible.
Preference System: Students list courses in order of preference (1 to 10) on their CAO application. If they receive their first choice, no further offers are made.
EU Status Priority: Applicants from the EU/EEA, including Irish students, are treated equally and have first access to places in the CAO system.
High Success Rates: Over half (51%) of applicants in 2025 received their first preference for Level 8 courses, and 80% received one of their top three preferences.
Non-EU students typically apply directly to universities and do not compete for these specific CAO places.
My daughters didn't really look elsewhere and had their sights on, one at Queens the other was just looking to go across to the Uk.
If I had my choice I'd have loved to been at a college in Dublin! But just had enough to get an apprenticeship lol
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 08:22:51 PMIrish students and other EU applicants receive priority for college places via the CAO system, as places are allocated based on Leaving Certificate points rather than residency, and CAO offers are designed to give applicants their highest preference possible.
Key details regarding preference and placement:Highest Preference First:
In Round One, students are offered the highest preference course for which they are eligible.
Preference System: Students list courses in order of preference (1 to 10) on their CAO application. If they receive their first choice, no further offers are made.
EU Status Priority: Applicants from the EU/EEA, including Irish students, are treated equally and have first access to places in the CAO system.
High Success Rates: Over half (51%) of applicants in 2025 received their first preference for Level 8 courses, and 80% received one of their top three preferences.
Non-EU students typically apply directly to universities and do not compete for these specific CAO places.
My daughters didn't really look elsewhere and had their sights on, one at Queens the other was just looking to go across to the Uk.
If I had my choice I'd have loved to been at a college in Dublin! But just had enough to get an apprenticeship lol
You think the CAO don't class people from the 6 as Irish?
Read the article. They even tell you how much points an A level is worth.
Quote from: Baile Brigín 2 on May 11, 2026, 09:08:55 PMQuote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 08:22:51 PMIrish students and other EU applicants receive priority for college places via the CAO system, as places are allocated based on Leaving Certificate points rather than residency, and CAO offers are designed to give applicants their highest preference possible.
Key details regarding preference and placement:Highest Preference First:
In Round One, students are offered the highest preference course for which they are eligible.
Preference System: Students list courses in order of preference (1 to 10) on their CAO application. If they receive their first choice, no further offers are made.
EU Status Priority: Applicants from the EU/EEA, including Irish students, are treated equally and have first access to places in the CAO system.
High Success Rates: Over half (51%) of applicants in 2025 received their first preference for Level 8 courses, and 80% received one of their top three preferences.
Non-EU students typically apply directly to universities and do not compete for these specific CAO places.
My daughters didn't really look elsewhere and had their sights on, one at Queens the other was just looking to go across to the Uk.
If I had my choice I'd have loved to been at a college in Dublin! But just had enough to get an apprenticeship lol
You think the CAO don't class people from the 6 as Irish?
Read the article. They even tell you how much points an A level is worth.
I was joking about the foreigner bit
I've read it
A daughter of mine did 3 years 3rd level in Slovenia a few years ago, the course fees were ridiculously low as a citizen of an eu state. We paid her rent of a roomy single student flat about eur200/month then, and she could manage most of the rest of the living expenses with good summer work at home, savings, birthday gifts and lastly occasional top ups from us. We saved a fortune and she had an adventure of a lifetime.
,
Quote from: Main Street on May 11, 2026, 10:31:06 PMA daughter of mine did 3 years 3rd level in Slovenia a few years ago, the course fees were ridiculously low as a citizen of an eu state. We paid her rent of a roomy single student flat about eur200/month then, and she could manage most of the rest of the living expenses with good summer work at home, savings, birthday gifts and lastly occasional top ups from us. We saved a fortune and she had an adventure of a lifetime.
,
That sounds just the ticket..
I wish my kids could have looked at that option lol
Quote from: Baile Brigín 2 on May 11, 2026, 03:16:03 PMQuote from: gallsman on May 11, 2026, 03:13:10 PMAccommodation costs surely a huge part of it as well.
I get Coleraine is cheaper than Cork, but that doesn't explain why some students go to London or Edinburgh instead.
Its probably easier to get home from London Manchester etc than Galway or limerick or cork.
A-levels now transfer into CAO points very unfavourably - also a factor i'm sure.
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 03:07:18 PMDidn't read the article but a friend of mine his daughter wanted to go to Trinity or UCD not sure which one, but he said that she could only get in if there was any spaces available after the locals took theirs..
Purely anecdotal, just in case ;D
Not true
Son went to trinity so can speak from experience
Daughter applied for ucd and was also accepted but ended up at queens as mates didn't go to Dublin
Reality for the good degrees in ucd/ trinity you need 4 a levels but tbf you need a serious high number of points in the south also .
Quote from: DuffleKing on May 12, 2026, 12:35:52 PMA-levels now transfer into CAO points very unfavourably - also a factor i'm sure.
Some woman was saying in one of the articles that 3 A* A-Levels provided insufficient points for a lot of the degree courses in the South so it's not apples with apples. Partitionism is thriving!
Quote from: Tony Baloney on May 12, 2026, 12:53:28 PMQuote from: DuffleKing on May 12, 2026, 12:35:52 PMA-levels now transfer into CAO points very unfavourably - also a factor i'm sure.
Some woman was saying in one of the articles that 3 A* A-Levels provided insufficient points for a lot of the degree courses in the South so it's not apples with apples. Partitionism is thriving!
It hasn't been for 20 odd years. Before that you used to get a bonus for getting straight As and three A levels would be have been the norm, as 150 points per A plus the bonus would bring you to the maximum 600 points.
Quote from: Tony Baloney on May 12, 2026, 12:53:28 PMQuote from: DuffleKing on May 12, 2026, 12:35:52 PMA-levels now transfer into CAO points very unfavourably - also a factor i'm sure.
Some woman was saying in one of the articles that 3 A* A-Levels provided insufficient points for a lot of the degree courses in the South so it's not apples with apples. Partitionism is thriving!
It's literally apples with apples. To get into a course via the Leaving/CAO you need to matriculate. Everyone has to have numeracy and literacy in terms of LC maths and English. No wiggle room. You want to do a language, you need an honours LC in that language. Engineering honours maths. Science 2 honours sciences and so on.
If you did A level history, art and accounting, you are at a huge disadvantage if you want a degree from Dublin in Spanish or Biology. In fact possibly taking up a place in, say, medicine you probably can't pass.
It isn't partitionist to think the A level system is too deep and narrow, wheras the Leaving forces you to study things you aren't necessarily natural in.
I'm not arguing that one is better than the other, but that works both ways. It could be easily argued that the Leaving Cert doesn't prepare its students well enough in more specialist degrees.
I did Mechanical Engineering in Trinity, having done Ad. Maths at GCSE and Maths at A-Level. Some of my fellow students in first and second year were massively underprepared for what were assumed to be relatively simple mathematical and physical concepts for engineers to be. Even those who ad studied Applied Maths for the Leaving were massively behind anyone who had done Maths for A Level in the north where they'd have most likely done two modules on mechanics.
I covered some really, really basic things in my GCSE Business Studies class that I came across again in a third year Engineering Management module, as well as a Business Management Masters.
Quote from: gallsman on May 12, 2026, 01:38:29 PMI'm not arguing that one is better than the other, but that works both ways. It could be easily argued that the Leaving Cert doesn't prepare its students well enough in more specialist degrees.
Specialist degrees should provide specialist material, this degree of specialisation should not be happening at schools.
Why not? At 15 I knew loads of things I didn't want to study any further.
Quote from: gallsman on May 12, 2026, 03:58:18 PMWhy not? At 15 I knew loads of things I didn't want to study any further.
Perhaps your judgement at 15 is not the best.
Quote from: naka on May 12, 2026, 12:44:49 PMQuote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 03:07:18 PMDidn't read the article but a friend of mine his daughter wanted to go to Trinity or UCD not sure which one, but he said that she could only get in if there was any spaces available after the locals took theirs..
Purely anecdotal, just in case ;D
Not true
Son went to trinity so can speak from experience
Daughter applied for ucd and was also accepted but ended up at queens as mates didn't go to Dublin
Reality for the good degrees in ucd/ trinity you need 4 a levels but tbf you need a serious high number of points in the south also .
Should nationalist politicians be looking at stuff like that and making it more accessible to students from the six counties to study at southern universities? That's a simple, practical step they could try to do.
And on that, I know a lad who's son was trying to get registered as a teacher in the south. He wanted to live in Dublin. Qualified in St. Mary's, Belfast but the hassle and grief he was put through to get registered with the Teaching Council was unreal. He said it'd be easier to get registered if you were from Australia.
He said the grilling and paperwork he had to put in was crazy. Ironic thing is, he said, is that there's a severe shortage of teachers in the south, especially in Dublin and commuter belt areas on the eastern seaboard.
Again, this is an area tht nationalist politicans should be working on - making it more accessible to northerners.
Quote from: marty34 on May 12, 2026, 05:51:31 PMQuote from: naka on May 12, 2026, 12:44:49 PMQuote from: Milltown Row2 on May 11, 2026, 03:07:18 PMDidn't read the article but a friend of mine his daughter wanted to go to Trinity or UCD not sure which one, but he said that she could only get in if there was any spaces available after the locals took theirs..
Purely anecdotal, just in case ;D
Not true
Son went to trinity so can speak from experience
Daughter applied for ucd and was also accepted but ended up at queens as mates didn't go to Dublin
Reality for the good degrees in ucd/ trinity you need 4 a levels but tbf you need a serious high number of points in the south also .
Should nationalist politicians be looking at stuff like that and making it more accessible to students from the six counties to study at southern universities? That's a simple, practical step they could try to do.
And on that, I know a lad who's son was trying to get registered as a teacher in the south. He wanted to live in Dublin. Qualified in St. Mary's, Belfast but the hassle and grief he was put through to get registered with the Teaching Council was unreal. He said it'd be easier to get registered if you were from Australia.
He said the grilling and paperwork he had to put in was crazy. Ironic thing is, he said, is that there's a severe shortage of teachers in the south, especially in Dublin and commuter belt areas on the eastern seaboard.
Again, this is an area tht nationalist politicans should be working on - making it more accessible to northerners.
College entry is not a real problem, teaching recognition is. Yet, these politicians rarely do anything as useful as this.
My son graduated from UL last year after a 5 year MEng degree, from memory I don't think he got much help fro his school during the application process. I seem to recall there being a points bonus for having A-Level maths which helped meet the CAO requirements for Aeronautical Engineering.
My daughter will be graduating in July with a MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh, somehow she was classed as an EU national and was charged as a home student for tuition fees saving about £7k a year. Apparently we couldn't prove she was 'British' 😂