College applications for high-points courses such as law, veterinary medicine, dentistry and physiotherapy are up significantly this year, as students flock towards areas of study with strong job prospects. By contrast, the number of students applying for courses in areas such as arts, humanities and languages are down again this year. Overall, a total of just over 77,800 students have applied for a college course through the CAO this year. There were also increases in courses linked to the environment (+8 per cent), architecture (+8 per cent), secondary education (+7 per cent), medicine. The surge in applications for high-points courses may also be a sign that some students feel they have a better chance of securing more CAO points under the new calculated grades process, he said.

Source: The Irish Times July 08, 2020 13:42 UTC