Editing Trinity College Dublin (section)

===Admissions===
Undergraduate applications from Irish, British and European Union applicants are submitted and processed through the [[Central Applications Office]] (CAO) system.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Trinity College instructs the CAO to administer all applications by standardised criteria before offering places to successful candidates. The college therefore has full control of admissions while ensuring anonymity and academic equality throughout the process.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} 

Admission to the university is highly competitive and based exclusively on academic merit.<ref>{{cite web |author=Undergraduate Admissions |url=https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/undergraduate/index.php |title=Admission Requirements |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |access-date=18 March 2019 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402180603/https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/undergraduate/index.php |url-status=live }}</ref> To be considered for admission, applicants must first reach the university's minimum matriculation requirements, which typically involves holding sufficient recognised [[School leaving qualification|qualifications]] in English, mathematics and a second language; the mathematics requirement can be waived if Latin is presented as a second language.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} 

Applicants for certain courses may be required to achieve more specific qualifications than those prescribed for minimum matriculation requirements.<ref>{{cite web |author=Undergraduate Admissions |url=https://www.tcd.ie/calendar/undergraduate-studies/admission-requirements.pdf |title=Admission Requirements |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |access-date=21 April 2018 |archive-date=20 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074606/https://www.tcd.ie/calendar/undergraduate-studies/admission-requirements.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eligible applicants must then compete for places based on the results of their [[School leaving qualification|school leaving examinations]], but can additionally take [[matriculation examination]]s<ref>{{cite web |author=Undergraduate Admissions |url=https://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/assets/pdf/Matric%20Syllabus.pdf |title=Matriculation Examination Syllabus |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=20 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074610/https://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/assets/pdf/Matric%20Syllabus.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> which are held in the university in April, in which each subject is considered equivalent to that of the [[Leaving Certificate (Ireland)|Irish Leaving Certificate]]. Applications for restricted courses<ref>{{cite web |author=Central Applications Office |url=https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=restrictedcourses&bb=restrictions |title=Restricted-Application Courses |publisher=cao.ie |access-date=7 May 2018 |archive-date=7 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207062542/http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=restrictedcourses&bb=restrictions |url-status=live }}</ref> require further assessment considered in the admissions process, such as the [[Health Professions Admissions Test]] (HPAT) for medicine or [[Educational entrance examination|entrance tests]] for music and drama courses.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

As applications for most courses far exceed available places, admission is highly selective, demanding excellent grades in the aforementioned examinations. Through the [[Central Applications Office|CAO]], candidates may list several courses at Trinity College and at other third-level institutions in Ireland in order of preference.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} The [[Central Applications Office|CAO]] awards places in mid-August every year after matching the number of places available to the applicants' academic attainments. Qualifications are measured as "points", with specific scales for the Leaving Certificate, UK GCE [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-level]], the [[International Baccalaureate]] and all other European Union school-leaving examinations.<ref>{{cite web |author=Undergraduate Admissions |url=http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/requirements/matriculation/other/ |title=A list of EU exams and conversion ratios |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |date=26 February 2010 |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501171059/http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/undergraduate/requirements/matriculation/other/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, there were 3,220 new entrants out of 18,469 CAO applicants, indicating a competitive acceptance rate of 17.4%.<ref>{{cite web|date=2016-03-09|title=Increase in CAO Applications for Trinity Courses for 2016|url=https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/increase-in-cao-applications-for-trinity-courses-for-2016/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124210818/https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/increase-in-cao-applications-for-trinity-courses-for-2016/|archive-date=24 November 2020|access-date=2021-05-26|publisher=Trinity College Dublin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN Profile 2016/2017|url=https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2017/04/TCD-Profile-2016.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018215149/https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2017/04/TCD-Profile-2016.pdf|archive-date=18 October 2019|access-date=2021-05-26|website=HEA}}</ref>

For applicants who are not citizens or residents of the [[European Union]], different procedures apply.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topuniversities.com/schools/data/school_profile/default/universitydublintrinitycollege|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228220105/http://www.topuniversities.com/schools/data/school_profile/default/universitydublintrinitycollege|url-status=dead|title=Topuniversities.com|archive-date=28 February 2009}}</ref> Disadvantaged, disabled, or mature students can also be admitted through a program that is separate from the [[Central Applications Office|CAO]], the Trinity Access Programme,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access |title=Trinity Access Programmes, Trinity Teaching & Learning |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-date=12 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512114151/http://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which aims to facilitate the entry of sectors of society which would otherwise be under-represented.

Students from non-European countries, such as the United States, may be admitted directly if they have passed the International Baccalaureate or EU/EFTA exams and meet the minimum admission requirements.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Admission is not guaranteed and places will be filled in order of merit by the applicants with the highest score.<ref name=":9">{{cite web|title=Japan|url=https://www.tcd.ie/study/country/japan/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114090801/https://www.tcd.ie/study/country/japan/|archive-date=14 November 2020|access-date=2021-05-26|publisher=Trinity College Dublin}}</ref>

For those who have not taken the above exams, there is the one-year Foundation Program.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} This includes essays, discussions, question and answer sessions and training in study to prepare students for admission to Trinity College.<ref>{{cite web|date=2015-11-09|title=Trinity Foundation Programme, Trinity College, University of Dublin|url=https://ifu-japan.net/tfp/|access-date=2021-05-26|website=I.F.U|language=ja|archive-date=6 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506221617/http://ifu-japan.net/tfp/|url-status=live}}</ref> Students must demonstrate proficiency in English to be admitted to the Foundation Program and must have a minimum score on the [[IELTS]], [[TOEFL]] or [[Duolingo|Duolingo English Test]] (DET).{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Requirements also vary depending on the program. In addition to English language proficiency, students must meet the high school score.<ref name=":9" />

Admission to graduate study is handled directly by Trinity College.<ref>{{cite web|title=Postgraduate – How to Apply|url=https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/making-an-application/postgraduate/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-26|publisher=Trinity College Dublin|archive-date=25 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425224035/https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/making-an-application/postgraduate/}}</ref>