Application Guide Autumn 2025

Personal statement

A personal statement outlining why you consider yourself suitable to enrol on the programme is required within the application portal. 

The personal statement consists of two questions. There is a limit of 1,995 characters per question. We advise that you type these in a Word document, check the number of characters (including spaces) and then paste them into your application. 

Interview Preparation

All eligible applicants are required to interview as part of the application process.

Once your online application has been reviewed and it has been deemed that you meet the minimum entry requirements, you will be called for an interview. The interview will assess your motivation, professionalism and suitability to work with very young children. It will evaluate your communication, interpersonal, organisation and planning skills. Furthermore, it will assess your knowledge of Hibernia College and the programme.

Eligible applicants invited to interview will be contacted by phone during working hours to arrange a suitable date and time to attend for interview.

Are your documents in the correct format?

Hibernia College operates an online application process and does not accept hard copies of original documentation, with the exception of those required for Garda Vetting clearance, which is dealt with at offer stage. Hibernia College will not return any original documentation. 

Leaving Certificate 

• Hibernia College will only accept Leaving Certificate transcripts issued by the State Examinations Commission. 
• Provisional results transcripts can not be accepted, please review your transcript to ensure that you have been issued your official transcript.
• To order a transcript of your Leaving Certificate results online, visit the State Examinations Commission website (examinations.ie). Note that this can take a minimum of two weeks and during peak times can be longer. Applications will not progress without all documents. 
• Applicants with equivalent qualifications should consult with the Admissions Office before uploading appropriate documentation. 

Note: Applicants who will be 23 or over on 1 January on the year of entry meet the criteria for mature student entry and are not required to meet the Leaving Certificate entry requirements.  

Evidence of English Language Proficiency (where applicable) 

• Applicants whose first language/primary mode of expression is not English must upload evidence of English proficiency at B2+ or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

Document Format 

• All documents must be scanned and uploaded in clear, legible PDF format (one PDF file per document). We cannot accept Word documents, pictures or other formats. 

• A file compressor must be used if the file size is over 4 Mb. Search for “PDF file compressor” to find this tool. 

• A file merger must be used if you need to upload multiple pages into one document. Search for “PDF file merger” to find this tool. 

Please note only documents submitted in the correct PDF format will be reviewed. 

If you have further questions, please call our Enrolment Helpline at (01) 661 0168 (option 2) between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. or email advisor@hiberniacollege.net.