A new site to search third-level college courses has received more than 20,000 hits in its first week.
UniBrowse.ie is a interactive search tool that enables applicants to easily access detailed information about third-level college courses.
Founders Alan O’Beirne, Niall Cronin, Walter Holohan and Kenneth Casey said students face the same frustration six years ago that students are still facing today.
“A problem in education at the moment is the lack of a transparent, centralised and user-friendly platform for students or parents to access course information easily. Dropout levels are quite high as a result of poor course selection, one of the reasons behind the selection issue is lack of easy access to information,” said Mr O’Beirne.
Prospective college students can search, explore and compare college courses on mobile, tablet and desktop.
The CAO processes more than 70,000 applications for 1,400 undergraduate courses each year.
The closing date for 2017 CAO applications is 5.15pm on February 1st. while late applications are allowed up to 5.15pm on May 1st.
The Higher Education Authority reported in 2014 that 16 per cent of first years (6,414 students) dropped out of their course.
“In addition to the mental stress and inconvenience associated with quitting a course, a student who drops out must reapply for courses the following year and pay full fees. This puts an increased amount of financial strain and pressure on families,” said Mr O’Beirne.
"Netflix and Spotify make media easy for consumers, but it is evident that there is no site doing something similar for students. When I saw my sister struggling with the same process that I had an issue with six years ago, I knew something had to change."
