Irish Second-Level Students' Union Welcomes Pilot Admissions Programme in Trinity College

 The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomes today’s announcement that Trinity College Dublin will be piloting a new admissions scheme where 25 places across Law (10), History (10) and Ancient & Medieval History and Culture (5) will be reserved for students via a different entry route than the existing points scheme. Applicants seeking to enter into a course of study through the new route will be ranked according to a combination of their Leaving Certificate results, their Relative Performance Rank, and personal and contextual data provided via supplementary materials submitted by the applicant.  Students can still apply for the remainder of places in these courses through the traditional points system, and opt whether or not to apply through the new entry route.  The first students in this study will begin in Trinity in 2014, and the pilot will run for at least two years. ISSU President, Dylan Grace said; ‘The Irish Second Level Students’ Union fully supports the new feasibility study on college admissions about to be carried out by Trinity College. To me, it is quite clear that this has the potential to deliver more fairness than the current CAO system. In a society where students can contribute in many ways and display great talent in various ways, it is unjust that a student’s test scores from one exam should ultimately be the decider of their future. Although Leaving Cert points are still a significant factor, but so is how they perform compared to other applicants in their school – something which will hopefully give something of an advantage back to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and recognise when they perform well compared to their peers.’ Brendan Power, ISSU Education Officer echoed this, ‘The traditional points system is not reflective of the student as a whole person, and we welcome the possibility that college entry will be based on a number of different aspects, instead of just one set of exam results.’ For further information on: www.tcd.ie/undergraduate-studies