CAO HANDBOOK ENTRY 2016
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choices. As soon as you are made an offer, we shall write to you. Some
institutions may also send you letters or messages informing you of your
offer. Make sure you let us know if you change your contact details.
What do the different statuses mean?
We use specific terms to indicate what progress the institution has
made in considering your application.
• Waiting for a Decision:
The institution has not yet considered
your application.
• Awaiting Results:
The institution is waiting for further results (e.g.
June or Trial results) before making a decision on your application.
• Short-listed, Standby and Wait-listed:
the institution is
considering your application but has not yet decided whether
they will be able to offer you a place.
• Entrance Test and Interview:
The programme has special
selection procedures. Institutions should contact you with details
of the date, time and venue. You may need to follow up with the
institution directly.
• Firm Offer:
You are offered a place by the institution. This may
be withdrawn if you do not indicate that you want to accept the
place or if your final results are not as good as your earlier results.
• Conditional Offer:
the institution will accept you provided that
you meet the requirements. Where space is limited, these may
be higher than the minimum requirements for the programme
published in this Handbook. Some programmes may conduct
assessment tests at registration. This may be withdrawn if you
do not indicate that you want to accept the place or if your final
results are not as good as your earlier results.
• Please Supply HESA/SAQA Evaluation:
The institution requires
a HESA/SAQA evaluation of the foreign exam results you may
have written.
• Please Supply Academic Record:
The institution requires a copy
of your academic record from your current or previous study at
tertiary level.
• LateApplication:
Your application was received after the closing date
for the programme. Each institution deals with late applications in
different ways. Refer to the institution’s prospectus for further info.
• Has not Met Programme Ranking Criteria:
You do not meet the
institution's specific criteria. Refer to the institution’s prospectus
for further information.
• Regret Unsuccessful:
The institution has decided not to offer you
a place for whatever reason according to their selection processes.
• Unsuccessful Following Placement Test/Interview:
the
institution has decided not to offer you a place following the
entrance test you wrote or the interview you attended. There are
also a number of messages the institution can use to tell you that
they are unable to offer you a place.
• Programme Closed:
No further applications will be considered.
How do I accept an offer?
You must inform the institution and NOT the CAO whether you wish
to accept the offer.They should send you a letter or message detailing
the procedures you must follow. If they give you a deadline to accept
a place, it is important that you reply within that time or the place will
be offered to someone else.
Most institutions will ask you to pay a non-refundable Acceptance of
Offer fee to secure the place.This fee will usually count towards your first
semester’s fees. PLEASE DO NOT pay this money to the CAO.Wait until
the institution informs you of methods on how they want you to pay it.
How do I decline an offer?
If you have decided not to accept the offer, let the institution know.
What happens after I have accepted an offer?
Once you have accepted a place and paid the deposit requested,
the institution should send you details of registration. First semester
registration takes place between the second week of January and
the beginning of February. Second semester registration takes place
between June and August. Check the institutions' websites for details.
