Will CAO points rise even higher this year?Ask Brian: 2021 may be the most competitive yet in the competition for third-level placesTue May 04 2021 - 00:00
How many written Leaving Cert exams should my daughter opt for in June?Students who sit written exams have greater control over their eventual resultsTue Apr 27 2021 - 00:00
Can my son apply for a grant even if he doesn’t have a college offer yet?Applicants don’t need results or offers – you just need to show your preferred courseTue Apr 20 2021 - 00:00
My 15-year-old has lost self-confidence due to school closures. How can he rebuild it?There are excellent programmes which aim to develop young people’s soft skillsTue Apr 13 2021 - 00:00
How can my school start up a past pupils’ union?Technological advances mean schools can easily help reconnect childhood friendsTue Apr 06 2021 - 00:00
My son is anxious about returning to school. Is online learning an option?Many teachers found benefits to online learning and will integrate it into their teachingTue Mar 30 2021 - 00:00
I want to return to college to upskill. Will I be eligible for a grant?Ask Brian: Susi offers grants to eligible school leavers and mature studentsTue Mar 23 2021 - 00:00
More people opting for business degrees as their first choiceInvest in your future with one of the many business degree programmes on offerTue Mar 09 2021 - 05:00
How to select the right postgraduate courseAsk yourself what type of programme you wish to follow: research or taughtTue Mar 09 2021 - 05:00
Future-proofing in a pandemic-hit jobs marketA postgraduate programme may help you gain stills to match the needs of employersTue Mar 09 2021 - 05:00
What are career prospects like for an engineering apprentice?Ask Brian: Earn-and-learn options offer great opportunities to school leaversTue Mar 09 2021 - 00:00
My daughter wants to help tackle climate change. Are there courses in this field?Ask Brian: A growing number of colleges are offering courses in sustainabilityTue Mar 02 2021 - 00:00
I’m worried CAO points will go through the roof this year. What are my options?Ask Brian: All signs are that CAO points will not be returning to 2019 levels anytime soonTue Feb 23 2021 - 01:00
My daughter missed out on medicine – will she have a better chance in 2021?Ask Brian: The class of 2020 has more options to combine Leaving Cert grades with Hpat resultsTue Feb 16 2021 - 00:00
My son needs to choose his Leaving Cert subjects – but isn’t sure what to opt forAsk Brian: Be sure to examine entry requirements for courses he is interested inTue Feb 09 2021 - 00:00
Why are we still paying teachers if they won’t return to the classroom?Ask Brian: Teachers are delivering online to their students and working longer hoursTue Feb 02 2021 - 00:00
My daughter isn’t studying Irish. Will she be locked out of college courses?Ask Brian: Irish can be an entry criteria but she may be entitled to an exemptionTue Jan 26 2021 - 00:00
I’m thinking of studying in a UK university. What post-Brexit fees will I face?Irish students will not pay international fees – but costs may jump nonethelessTue Jan 19 2021 - 00:00
Key dates for 2021 CAO applicationsTimeline for this year’s college application processTue Jan 12 2021 - 09:05
How CAO applications are processedThe points for any given third-level course can rise or fall each yearTue Jan 12 2021 - 05:00
Six steps to applying for college in 2021The transition from school to third level can be a challenge. This is what you have to doTue Jan 12 2021 - 05:00
What to consider when selecting your next move after Leaving CertQuestions to help determine your career pathTue Jan 12 2021 - 04:00
Our broadband is woeful. How can my daughter sit the online Hpat?Technological requirements to complete the test will be daunting for many studentsTue Jan 12 2021 - 00:00
More students from Deis schools progressed to third level in 2020Feeder schools: Social class still a big factor in securing college placesFri Jan 08 2021 - 08:24
Feeder schools: Ironing out statistical quirksCollege data accounts for current and previous students who register in the same yearFri Jan 08 2021 - 00:25
My daughter is fluent in Spanish. How can she get a second-level teaching job?Teaching Council has revised subject requirements for would-be teachersTue Jan 05 2021 - 00:00
I’m thinking of becoming a secondary teacher. What qualifications do I need?Ask Brian: You should have studied at least one subject from post-primary curriculum at degree levelTue Dec 15 2020 - 00:00
I’m in my 40s and thinking of college next year. Should I apply now?CAO applicants required to submit extra paperwork should start preparing nowTue Dec 08 2020 - 08:59
My son isn’t logging onto lectures. I worry that he’ll drop out of collegeRemote learning is putting a huge strain on many students, particularly first yearsTue Dec 01 2020 - 09:13
My daughter is stressed about her CAO choices. Is time against her?An initial list must be submitted by February 1st but this can be fully amended laterTue Nov 24 2020 - 00:00
My daughter hasn’t a clue what she wants to do after schoolAsk Brian: Students can access a variety of websites to explore optionsTue Nov 17 2020 - 00:08
My son studied law but doesn’t want to be a solicitor. Does he have other options?Legal qualifications are useful across many areas including compliance and governanceTue Nov 10 2020 - 00:00
I’ve just started college, is it too late to apply for a Susi grant?Ask Brian: There’s still time, but the application deadline expires soonTue Nov 03 2020 - 00:00
Top 10 tips on how to make the most of college open daysWhat you need to know to make sure you take full advantage of your online open day opportunityMon Nov 02 2020 - 01:00
Higher Options: Prepare in advance and use your time wiselyRepresentatives from the CAO, universities, colleges, further education institutions and educational bodies will be available in a virtual exhibition hallSun Nov 01 2020 - 01:00
Ask Brian: Will Leaving Cert exams take account of Covid?Next year’s papers will look similar to previous years, but with more choiceTue Oct 27 2020 - 00:34
I want to be a vet but CAO points are just too high. Are there any other options?Ask Brian: There are lots of other routes, mostly in mainland EuropeTue Oct 20 2020 - 00:00
I missed out on CAO points for nursing. Is there another route into it?Ask Brian: Cost-cutting means there are few options outside the CAO processTue Oct 13 2020 - 00:00
I plan to sit the Leaving Cert in November alongside college. Am I taking on too much?Ask Brian: It won’t be easy. But if you are genuinely dissatisfied, it is worth the effort to secure those extra CAO pointsTue Oct 06 2020 - 00:00
Is it a good idea for my daughter to study physiotherapy abroad?Ask Brian: Cheaper fees, prestigious courses and easier entry requirements are turning many students’ headsTue Sept 29 2020 - 00:00
Attention turns to final rounds of CAOBrian Mooney: The CAO’s Available Places facility has almost 200 courses advertisedWed Sept 23 2020 - 21:58
I find it hard to learn online. How will I survive in college this year?Ask Brian: Most teaching in third level will be online, but there are supports availableTue Sept 22 2020 - 00:00
Should my daughter defer her college place?Ask Brian: Many families are struggling to justify the cost of accommodation given so much material will be taught onlineTue Sept 15 2020 - 00:00
Brian Mooney: Student anger may deepen when teachers’ estimated grades are releasedFor some this data will be of mild interest, yet for others it will feel very significantSun Sept 13 2020 - 17:16
Brian Mooney: Anger that teachers' marking caused high-point courses to go upBy creating additional college places the Government has kept down the CAO point requirementsSat Sept 12 2020 - 08:28
CAO: Four things you need to know before accepting an offerGrades are up significantly this year, so expect increased points for many programmesFri Sept 11 2020 - 02:00
Your CAO offer and how to respond to itMoment of truth for thousands of applicants as first college offers are issued today.Fri Sept 11 2020 - 01:23
How much will CAO points increase? All bets off this yearGrade inflation will send points upwards – but more college places may ease pressureThu Sept 10 2020 - 02:53
Have private schools lost out in the calculated grades process?Discrepancies in the way grades were lowered raises some urgent questionsTue Sept 08 2020 - 20:45
Alternative career routes boost options for school-leaversPractical, hands-on courses offer career progression and skills enhancement outside the traditional CAO systemTue Sept 08 2020 - 07:51
