Secondary

College admission and academic advising in Ireland are considered, with background information about the Irish educational system and comparisons to the U.S. system provided. University students in Ireland do not have the benefits of a centralized professional advisement system, and there appear to be no plans or financial means for initiating any such program. At the post-primary (second level) of Irish education, 3 years of study lead to the Intermediate Certificate examination. Study can be college preparatory, vocational, or comprehensive, a combination of college preparatory and vocational. An additional 2 or 3 years of coursework leads to the Leaving Certificate examination. Points on this examination are assigned for subjects tested, and the total points received by the student determine acceptance for third level education as well as the course of study to which the student will be assigned from among the student's preferences. The university program usually requires 3 years for an arts degree and 4 years for a science degree. There is much competition for limited number of places in courses that are considered prestigious and likely to lead to jobs. Students who change their minds about their course of study after August 1 lose as much as a year of school and financial aid. (SW) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document