CAO 2023 Timeline: Exceptional Late Applications

The exceptional closing date of 22nd July at 17:00 applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1st May 2023 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply, and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course, you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

To make an Exceptional Late Application you must:

1. Make your CAO application before 22nd July at 17:00 and get a 2023 CAO application number..
2. Go to www.cao.ie, click on Apply, and follow the instructions for Exceptional Late Applications. This facility opens on the 5th July at noon. Do not enter course choices online.
3. Download the Course Choices form
4. E-mail the Admissions Office of the institution that you are attending to inform them that you wish to apply to CAO, asking them for an e-mail to verify that you were an undergraduate student on 1st May 2023. In the subject line type “Exceptional Late Application”. Please allow sufficient time for the institution to fulfil this request. Contact details for all institutions can be found here.
5. Complete the Course Choices Form, including your full list of course choices in genuine order of preference.
6. Post the completed Course Choices Form and a printed copy of the e-mail provided by your current institution to CAO, and include your CAO application number on the front of the form and the e-mail. The form and e-mail must arrive in CAO no later than 22nd July at 17:00. Please note: the printout of the e-mail must show the sender’s details and the date and time that the e-mail was sent.

CAO will e-mail a Statement of Application Record to you after the 22nd July closing date, once your application has been recorded. If you have not received this statement by 5th August, please contact CAO immediately.

Change of Mind:
The exceptional Change of Mind closing date of 22nd July at 17:00 applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1st May 2023, in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed above), and who previously made an application through CAO for 2023 entry, i.e. have a CAO application number beginning with “23”. In order to avail of the Exceptional Change of Mind facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.

To make an Exceptional Change of Mind you must:

1. E-mail the Admissions Office of the institution that you are attending to inform them that you wish to submit an Exceptional Change of Mind. Ask the admissions office for an e-mail to verify that you were an undergraduate student on 1st May 2023. In the subject line type “Exceptional Change of Mind”. Please allow sufficient time for the institution to fulfil this request. Contact details for all institutions can be found here.
2. Download and complete a paper Change of Mind Form. Post the Change of Mind Form to CAO with your application number and a copy of the e-mail you received from the institution (verifying your attendance up to 1st May 2023). There is no fee for this service.

Click on the ’22nd July Applicants’ button to start your application.