Every Christmas, alumni from my old school, Cité Scolaire Internationale in Lyon, France, give presentations on their universities to younger students preparing their own applications. Despite Trinity’s efforts to be recognised on a global stage, only one out of one hundred anglophone students in my former international school had considered studying in Ireland. Many had already applied through UCAS and didn’t want the hassle of another application system. This administrative issue, combined with Ireland’s lack of marketing in attracting overseas applicants, diminishes Trinity’s attractiveness.
Trinity has set itself strategic goals to increase the number of non-EU students to 18 per cent in 2019. The College’s Global Relations Strategy, including everything from overseas marketing to open days in the US, is in place to achieve that aim. But with the applications system for EU students potentially affecting the college’s appeal to those students, we are forced to consider how the CAO could be used as an asset in Trinity’s overseas marketing.
Ireland’s lack of marketing in attracting overseas applicants diminishes Trinity’s attractiveness
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The CAO is far more user-friendly than other application systems, as you’re able to apply to various courses in multiple universities simultaneously. In contrast, German and French universities often ignore the centralised application system and the US, while it does have a centralised system available in 48 states in the form of the Common Application, this system, unlike Ireland’s, is not the one used universally, and it does not cover all colleges in the country. The UK allows you to apply for only five universities, making poor estimates of final exam results very costly. My cousin, for example, had to take a gap year in order to capitalise on a better than expected final result. As well, the CAO relies exclusively on one score, with a few logical exceptions such as art and design and theatre studies.
The absence of motivation letters, CVs, references, extracurricular activities or school grades for the previous years in the application process makes it much easier. The later deadline for applications compared to other countries also works in the CAO’s favour. Whereas Oxford requires applications to be submitted before the October 15th, applying for Trinity can be done any time before May 1st. This is pivotal for students who have likely spent more time preparing for exams than researching universities abroad. Lastly, in comparison to other systems, which rely on staggering of results and warn you about inevitable system failures, the CAO manages to send every single one of its applicants an email at 6am simultaneously.
The Irish system has one major drawback: the delay of offers. When results are given in late August and lectures start shortly thereafter (the NUIG orientation week is one week after the results), students are placed under immense pressure, in particular against the backdrop of the accommodation crisis.
Speaking with exchange students, I have been unable to find any other country that does things the same way. Some of my friends in France knew which university they were going to the day before they started their final exams in June. As Ireland allocates places according to the Leaving Certificate results, it must operate differently. However, we must question the decision not to release the leaving cert results before August, in particular with regards to international students. By this time, I had already visited another university, found an apartment and booked my flights. Eight days before I was scheduled to arrive, I had to email the university and inform them I wouldn’t be coming after all. In some German states, the academic year would already have started. This delay in offering students places is one of the CAO’s main pitfalls and has the potential to discourage foreign students from even applying to Irish universities.
This delay in offering students places is one of the CAO’s main pitfalls and has the potential to discourage foreign students from even applying to Irish universities
Finally, finding accommodation is exponentially harder when you aren’t in the country. It requires flying in to look at as many places as possible in a limited amount of time, often right before the academic year begins. I stayed in a B&B for my first few months here and I can be considered lucky. I spoke the language, had friends and family in the country and had been forewarned that the housing market was in crisis. The delay in releasing acceptances aggravates this problem, particularly for international students.
Some of the hindrances in Trinity’s ability to embrace the global stage as much as it would like are beyond their control. For example, the CAO system’s delay in its release of offers is ultimately a hindrance, in particular to international students who must scramble to find accommodation in a foreign country. However, the centralised system of the CAO does offer many benefits and, if Trinity included this fact in its marketing abroad and tightened its administration, more foreign students could be made to consider Ireland and Trinity.
Correction: 15:01, October 1st, 2016
An earlier version of this piece stated that the US does not have a centralised college applications system. In fact, the Common Application system can be used to apply to its member colleges and universities in 48 states.
