Your Application - Waterford Institute of Technology

Information before Applying

1. Before applying, you should first do the following:

Examine carefully WIT's literature about the courses available, entry requirements, course content, restrictions, etc.
If you go to the CAO website and click on a course code, you will be linked immediately to the page for that course on WIT's website.
Contact us if unclear about any information in the literature or on our website.

2. Find out whether fees are payable for the course. The "Free Fees Scheme" may not apply to all courses, or applicants, or colleges.

3. Examine carefully the contents of the CAO Handbook (and directions given in the online system, if applying by that route).

4. You are responsible for ensuring that you meet the specified entry requirements and conditions for all courses chosen by you. The processing of an application at any stage should not be taken as an indication of eligibility for any course(s).

NOTE: Application Form (Part B) Special Categories / Other School Leaving Exams: All applicants to Waterford Institute of Technology must aquaint themselves with requirements of the Institute. Click here for further information.

In this section

Study at WIT

You should take great care in completing the CAO Application form. If using the paper application:

Make sure your handwriting is clear
Ensure that the letters and numbers in course codes are clear
Ensure you have the correct course code, if you use incorrect course codes, you may be offered a different course to the one you intended
Always ask someone else to check your form before posting it
There is a checklist on the reverse of the Application Pack envelope to help you

Completing Application Form Part A & B

Part A is self-explanatory and will normally be sufficient for Republic of Ireland school-leavers who form the vast majority of applicants and those who are only presenting one or more of the examinations named on Part B of the form. (Results of those examinations are obtained by CAO direct from examining authorities).
You should note that you may face complications in the future if the name on your birth certificate is different from the name on your application (which is used subsequently for registration and graduation documents).
Mature applicants and applicants who have qualifications other than the 1985-2013 Irish Leaving Cert and/or 2002-2013 FETAC Level 5/6 (NCVA Level 2/3) are categorised as Non-Standard/ Special Categories Applicants. Such applicants must complete the non-standard application section of the application process.
Non-Standard Applicants must post all supporting documents to the CAO. Please consult the CAO Handbook for further instructions.
N.B. Such documents must be posted to CAO without delay.
N.B. All documents must be clearly marked with your name and CAO Application Number.

Order of Preference

It is most important that you state your course choices in view of genuine preference and/or career plans.
It is a mistake to base your choices only on your present expectation of examination performance or the points levels of previous years.There is no need to fear that a statement of your genuine order of preference will militate against you. If you are not successful in your first choice this will have no effect on your chances of obtaining a place in one of your lower preferences.
It is advisable to retain a record of the courses for which you have applied. Print a copy of your online application receipt or, for paper applications, use the form supplied in the Handbook.

Only Non-Standard applicants should fill out pages 3 and 4 of the application form. These categories are listed below.

Application Form (Part B) Special Categories

GCE/GCSE
Other School Leaving Exams
NCVA Level 2/3 (pre 2002)
Further Education (Other than FETAC Level 5/6 & NCVA Level 2/3)
Higher Education
Mature Students - Over 23 years of age on 1st January of the year they intend to enter college

Completing Application Form Part B (Pages 3 and 4)

Tick whichever of the SPECIAL CATEGORIES on Page 3 of the form applies in your case and give the necessary information as stipulated below. If there is not sufficient space on Page 4 of the form to give all of the information required, you may attach additional sheets of paper (on which you should write your name and address).
In respect of examinations already completed, you MUST supply to CAO certificates for all qualifications which you mention on Page 3 of the form.
Certificates should show dates, subjects and results.
They should NOT be originals, they should be photocopies - certified typically by a school stamp.
A certified English translation is required in the case of qualifications not issued originally in English or Irish.
In the case of those who apply online, instructions about the submission of any additional documentation will appear on screen. Such documents must arrive in the CAO within seven days of the submission of the online application.
All documents must be sent to CAO. Do NOT send anything to the individual colleges unless requested specifically to do so.

To help you in presenting your application

You may begin by explaining the relevance of your life/educational experience to your application and state your educational goals and objectives.
Final secondary level qualification awarded.
Post-secondary level qualifications.
Current studies.
Non-certificate courses.
Employment.
Voluntary (Unpaid) Work, Hobbies or Interests.
You may use additional sheets of paper if necessary.

Standard Application

A standard application is from a candidate who:

a. Is presenting Leaving Certificate or FETAC Certificate examinations results to meet the minimum entry requirements, and

b. Has no previous third level education(in institutes of technology, universities, colleges of education, colleges of art and design,

or their equivalents abroad), and

c. Is not of mature years. (Mature applicants are defined on page 18)

Standard Applicatants apply normally through the CAO by 1 February

Applicants with disabilities and how to apply:

In accordance with the definition prepared by the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD), the Institute defines a student with a disability or learning difficult as follows:

"A student is disabled if she or he requires a facility which is not part of the mainstream provision of the college concerned, to enable

participation in the college to the full extent of her or his capabilities and without which she or he could be educationally disadvantaged in comparison with peers".

The Institute welcomes applications from people with disabilities and applicants with disabilities should apply normally through the CAO by 1 February.

Details of the Disability Co-ordinator for Waterford Institute of Technology are available here.

Non-Standard Application

A non-standard application is one that does not meet the definition of a standard application.

The principle categories are:

A. GCE/GCSE

B. Other School Leaving (S/L) exams

C. NCVA Level 2/3

D. Further education (other than FETAC)

E. Higher education

F. Mature Applicants

Persons wishing to make a non-standard application must tick the relevant Category on the CAO form (A/B/C/D/E or F).

Please note in relation to Category B applicants, presenting Leaving Certificate equivalent examinations other than Irish Leaving Certificate and GCSE/GCE A Levels examinations:

1. Applicants for admission in the current year must apply to the C.A.O. by 1st May and will only be considered for courses applied for as of the 1st May closing date.

2. Applicants must provide certified copy transcripts and certified English translations of qualifications (not issued in English), with the application. An application will not be dealt with which does not include certified English translations of qualifications being presented in another language. If you are sitting your final school leaving examinations in the year of application, the latest date for receipt of results is 24th July of the year of application.

3. The assessment of an applicant’s academic standing will be expressed as a number – a score between 5 and 600 points. This establishes the score (also referred to as the rating) that an applicant is entitled to compete with and this rating will be applied by the C.A.O.

4. Applicants must satisfy any special course entry requirement laid down by the Institute.

5. As instruction is through English, please see http://www.wit.ie/englishrequirements for further information re evidence of English language proficiency.

Please note in relation to Category E Higher Education, applicants presenting qualifications from Irish Higher Education Institutions (attended or attending a 3rd level institution ie. Universities, Institutes of Technology, Colleges of Education, etc.) may be considered for Enhancement points where they meet the Leaving Certificate eligibility criteria.

Although the institute will try to assess all non-standard applications on the basis of the information provided, it reserves thr right to call such applicants to the institute to assess their case.

Key CAO dates to remember:

See http://www.cao.ie for full list of dates.

1 February	Initial CAO Deadline
1 May	Late Applications deadline
1 July	Change of Mind deadline
August	First round of offers