Some 52 thousand college applicants have gotten their first round offers this morning.
While efforts by colleges are underway to tackle the points race, there are calls for a change in attitude to courses requiring higher points.
College hopefuls have been able to access their CAO offers from 6 o'clock this morning, with 75 thousand offers going out to over 52 thousand applicants.
Points for almost half of third level courses have increased; A rise in demand for engineering, business and science graduates has seen a rise in points to get into these courses, while Arts has stayed relatively stable.
There's been a 25 percent increase in courses requiring over 500 points, many of which admit tiny numbers.
The Higher Education Authority says work is underway to ensure that universities have broader courses on offer.
And as the thousands of applicants mull over their futures, they're urged to remember that higher points don't necessarily mean better quality courses.
