Tips for the CAO and choosing a college course (with Leaving Cert Guidance)

Whether or not you know what you want to do after the Leaving Cert next year, this podcast is for you! Andy and Nessa chat to guidance counsellor and CAO expert Donnchadh O'Mahony from Leaving Cert Guidance about everything you could possibly need to know about the CAO. From tips on how to research college courses, to information about PLCs and Tertiary degrees, we cover it all! Check out timecodes and links mentioned below, and don't forget to follow Donnchadh on socials for all the latest updates on the CAO, new courses and general career guidance. TikTok: Instagram: ⏰ TIMECODES: 02:05 - Key dates and basic steps for applying for the CAO 03:38 - How you should list your courses on the CAO form (Genuine Order of Preference) 07:04 - Explaining how the points system works 09:31 - Interesting new courses in CAO people might not know about 12:40 - Advice for anyone applying to universities outside of Ireland (UCAS etc) 15:45 - Information about restricted courses 16:41 - Tips for researching courses 20:38 - Tips for people who have no idea what they want to do after school 21:34 - How to choose the right course for you ( ) 25:02 - Andy’s experience applying for a restricted course 26:10 - Choosing where to go to college 27:34 - Information about applying for the SUSI grant 28:07 - Information about HEAR/DARE 29:29 - Information about PLCs and tertiary degrees 33:05 - Why you should attend open days 35:32 - Donnchadh’s final advice on the CAO 37:28 - Registering for the Candidate Self Service portal 🔗 LINKS MENTIONED Official CAO Website: Donnchadh’s website for finding the right college course for you: Information about Tertiary Degrees Applying for the SUSI grant State Examinations Commission examinations.ie Information about HEAR/DARE

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Tips for the CAO and choosing a college course (with Leaving Cert Guidance) is an episode from The Studyclix Podcast.

This episode is 40:36 long.

This episode was published on Nov 5, 2025.

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