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The format for what was previously called the ISE Portfolio was updated in November 2023.
We listented to your feedback and realised that the word “portfolio” caused some confusion in previous years, so we have changed this to the ISE Entrance Submission which now has two options for applicants in 2024, both of which are worth a maximum of 200 points.
This page contains instructions and information relating to the updated Entrance Submission for CAO (Leaving Cert.), Mature Student and International Student applicants to the course for September 2024 and should be followed by all applicants.
Students who have already begun working on the previously named “portfolio” will still be able to submit their work using Route A as outlined below. Please read the instuctions and information on this page carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected]
Leaving Cert. & Mature Students: Once you have selected LM173 Immersive Software Engineering on the CAO, you will receive a link via email which will grant you access to the submission portal.
International Students: International Students who apply directly to UL for the LM173 BSc will likewise receive an email with a link granting them access to the submission portal. Please note the dates outlined in the Submission Timeline below may differ for International applicants. Please contact UL Admissions for further information.
Further instructions on submission are detailed below.
If your CAO application is submitted by the 1st February 2024 – applicants will be emailed early/mid-March with details of the Entrance Submission process.
If your CAO application is submitted after the 1st February 2024 and up to the 1st May 2024 – applicants will be emailed by early/mid-May with details as above.
If the CAO Change of Mind option is exercised up to 1st July 2024, in which an applicant selects LM173 who had not previously done so in previous CAO rounds – applicants will be emailed early/mid-July with details as above.
If your CAO application is submitted by the 1st February 2024 – applicants will be emailed early/mid-March with details of the portfolio submission process.
If your CAO application is submitted after the 1st February 2024 and up to the 1st May 2024 – applicants will be emailed by early/mid-May with details as above.
If the CAO Change of Mind option is exercised up to 1st July 2024, in which an applicant selects LM173 who had not previously done so in previous CAO rounds – applicants will be emailed early/mid-July with details as above.
We are interested in many types of students for the ISE programme. Show us your skills and interests, in a way that connects with you.
There are two application routes for the Entrance Submission, both of which carry equal marks and which are now worth a maximum of 200 points.
Please read the details for each route carefully before choosing ONE route to respond to.
Tell us about the most creative, interesting, or enjoyable way in which you have used technology.
Help us to understand you based on your experience and insights by crafting responses to a series of questions.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Word limit: 800 words
To be submitted via the online submission portal as a single PDF document.
Using technology doesn’t have to mean writing a computer program – it could be any situation in which you’ve used any technology to do something interesting.
We want to know what you did, but we’re also very interested in how you did it. Below are some questions that you can use as inspiration for your writing.
Some of the questions will be more relevant to your project than others – feel free to choose a few that are most relevant to your project and to not answer the rest.
What did you do? Please include screenshots, photos, and links to repositories, website URLs, or any other illustration of the project (if relevant).
Note: If you have developed code in your project – please add coding fragments to your overview, with a short explanation of what these specific fragments do. You can link to the full implementation on a shared drive.
Why did you do it? Were you solving a problem, or did you just want to learn something new for fun?
What was the impact of your project? Did anyone use it? How did it help them?
What aspect of your project are you most proud of?
What would you do differently next time?
It’s OK to choose a project that you worked on in a small team, but please be clear about which parts you worked on personally.
If you have an idea but aren’t sure if it’s appropriate, then it probably is. If you like then you can email us to check. Feel free to email us a brief description of an idea ([email protected]) and we’ll let you know if we think it is appropriate.
You can use Leaving Cert, 3rd level, or other curricular projects in your entrance submission however we strongly recommend that you alter, improve or progress your project in some way and explain this in the narrative of your submission. Remember, the Technology Project is a chance for you to show us your creativity and skill so, if you use a Leaving Cert project for example, it is important to showcase how you have used this creativity and skill to improve upon it.
Provide and explain evidence. Links to screenshots, design artefacts, commented code, git commits, etc. can be included but must be discussed/explained in your writing.
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This section is worth 200 points
This is the main element of Option B of the Entrance Submission. In this section you will be presented with a list of five questions, each of which has been designed to allow you to showcase important acheivements, your own identity and any other elements that you would like evaluators to be aware of besides your test scores, courses and grades.
You are required to select 3 of these questions and craft a response between 200 and 400 words to each of your selected prompts. Please watch the video on the left for full instructions. The questions that will be provided to you for the 2024 submission are listed below.
Please submit a maximum of 1 external link that provides support for your profile submissions for each question.
These links must be links to external sources that are not owned or generated by you.
Q1. Do you have a talent or interest that is highly important to you? Tell us about this aspect of your identity and your key accomplishments in this area.
Q2. Describe a specific instance when you confronted a challenge, setback, or failure. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from the experience?
Q3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or contested a belief or idea. Explore the factors that prompted this shift in thinking, and the outcomes.
Q4. Do you have a background in computer science and/or software development? Tell us about your key accomplishments in this area.
Q5. ISE students work on projects that are truly innovative. Pitch, in some detail, a new project you would like to work on as an ISE student. Think big – we like a challenge!
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Word limit: 800 words
To be submitted via the online submission portal as a single PDF document.
Using technology doesn’t have to mean writing a computer program – it could be any situation in which you’ve used any technology to do something interesting.
We want to know what you did, but we’re also very interested in how you did it. Below are some questions that you can use as inspiration for your writing.
Some of the questions will be more relevant to your project than others – feel free to choose a few that are most relevant to your project and to not answer the rest.
What did you do? Please include screenshots, photos, and links to repositories, website URLs, or any other illustration of the project (if relevant).
Note: If you have developed code in your project – please add coding fragments to your overview, with a short explanation of what these specific fragments do. You can link to the full implementation on a shared drive.
Why did you do it? Were you solving a problem, or did you just want to learn something new for fun?
What was the impact of your project? Did anyone use it? How did it help them?
What aspect of your project are you most proud of?
What would you do differently next time?
It’s OK to choose a project that you worked on in a small team, but please be clear about which parts you worked on personally.
If you have an idea but aren’t sure if it’s appropriate, then it probably is. If you like then you can email us to check. Feel free to email us a brief description of an idea ([email protected]) and we’ll let you know if we think it is appropriate.
You can use Leaving Cert, 3rd level, or other curricular projects in your entrance submission however we strongly recommend that you alter, improve or progress your project in some way and explain this in the narrative of your submission. Remember, the Technology Project is a chance for you to show us your creativity and skill so, if you use a Leaving Cert project for example, it is important to showcase how you have used this creativity and skill to improve upon it.
Provide and explain evidence. Links to screenshots, design artefacts, commented code, git commits, etc. can be included but must be discussed/explained in your writing.
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This section is worth 200 points
This is the main element of Option B of the Entrance Submission. In this section you will be presented with a list of five questions, each of which has been designed to allow you to showcase important acheivements, your own identity and any other elements that you would like evaluators to be aware of besides your test scores, courses and grades.
You are required to select 3 of these questions and craft a response between 200 and 400 words to each of your selected prompts. Please watch the video on the left for full instructions. The questions that will be provided to you for the 2024 submission are listed below.
Please submit a maximum of 1 external link that provides support for your profile submissions for each question.
These links must be links to external sources that are not owned or generated by you.
Do you have a talent or interest that is highly important to you? Tell us about this aspect of your identity and your key accomplishments in this area.
Describe a specific instance when you confronted a challenge, setback, or failure. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or contested a belief or idea. Explore the factors that prompted this shift in thinking, and the outcomes.
Do you have a background in computer science and/or software development? Tell us about your key accomplishments in this area.
ISE students work on projects that are truly innovative. Pitch, in some detail, a new project you would like to work on as an ISE student. Think big – we like a challenge!
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Word limit: 800 words
To be submitted via the online submission portal as a single PDF document.
Using technology doesn’t have to mean writing a computer program – it could be any situation in which you’ve used any technology to do something interesting.
We want to know what you did, but we’re also very interested in how you did it. Below are some questions that you can use as inspiration for your writing.
Some of the questions will be more relevant to your project than others – feel free to choose a few that are most relevant to your project and to not answer the rest.
What did you do? Please include screenshots, photos, and links to repositories, website URLs, or any other illustration of the project (if relevant).
Note: If you have developed code in your project – please add coding fragments to your overview, with a short explanation of what these specific fragments do. You can link to the full implementation on a shared drive.
Why did you do it? Were you solving a problem, or did you just want to learn something new for fun?
What was the impact of your project? Did anyone use it? How did it help them?
What aspect of your project are you most proud of?
What would you do differently next time?
It’s OK to choose a project that you worked on in a small team, but please be clear about which parts you worked on personally.
If you have an idea but aren’t sure if it’s appropriate, then it probably is. If you like then you can email us to check. Feel free to email us a brief description of an idea ([email protected]) and we’ll let you know if we think it is appropriate.
You can use Leaving Cert, 3rd level, or other curricular projects in your entrance submission however we strongly recommend that you alter, improve or progress your project in some way and explain this in the narrative of your submission. Remember, the Technology Project is a chance for you to show us your creativity and skill so, if you use a Leaving Cert project for example, it is important to showcase how you have used this creativity and skill to improve upon it.
Provide and explain evidence. Links to screenshots, design artefacts, commented code, git commits, etc. can be included but must be discussed/explained in your writing.
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
This section is not graded.
In this section of the online submission you are required to provide your first name, surname, email address, CAO number (if applicable) and your mobile phone number.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This section is worth 200 points
This is the main element of Option B of the Entrance Submission. In this section you will be presented with a list of five questions, each of which has been designed to allow you to showcase important acheivements, your own identity and any other elements that you would like evaluators to be aware of besides your test scores, courses and grades.
You are required to select 3 of these questions and craft a response between 200 and 400 words to each of your selected prompts. Please watch the video on the left for full instructions. The questions that will be provided to you for the 2024 submission are listed below.
Please submit a maximum of 1 external link that provides support for your profile submissions for each question.
These links must be links to external sources that are not owned or generated by you.
Q1. Do you have a talent or interest that is highly important to you? Tell us about this aspect of your identity and your key accomplishments in this area.
Q2. Describe a specific instance when you confronted a challenge, setback, or failure. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from the experience?
Q3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or contested a belief or idea. Explore the factors that prompted this shift in thinking, and the outcomes.
Q4. Do you have a background in computer science and/or software development? Tell us about your key accomplishments in this area.
Q5. ISE students work on projects that are truly innovative. Pitch, in some detail, a new project you would like to work on as an ISE student. Think big – we like a challenge!
This section is not graded
In this section you are askled to sign an honour pledge declaring that the work described in the submission is your own. Any sources used in researching, developing, and evaluating the concept(s) described in the submission are fully acknowledged. Your work can be part of a larger team-based project, but the submission must clearly identify and focus on your contribution. This contribution should be an individual effort. Any part of the submission found not to be the work of the applicant will result in the rejection of the entire submission.
You may be called for an online discussion to clarify aspects of your submission. More information on this when you are emailed a link for the submission.
Note: Mature students AND International applicants must submit the Entrance Submission
Hear from some of our current students…
Hear from some of our current students…
The new Entrance Submission format was designed based on feedback from ISE Stakeholders (particularly students and teachers), with the applicants in mind.
Portfolio | Entrance Submission OPTION A | Entrance Submission OPTION B | Reasoning/comments | |
No of Graded Questions | 2 | 1 (written report) | Respond to 3 questions out of 5 | To gain a more comprehensive understanding of applicants while giving them more options. |
Maximum Wordcount | 1000 for Q1 500 for Q2 | 800 words | 400 words for each response | To allow applicants more of a choice in the responses they submit and to showcase more aspects of their identities and achievements if they wish to do so. |
Question Type | Essay Type | Essay Type | Shorter Narrative | To give students more options in their submission. |
Main Focus of Questions | Creative use of Technology | Creative use of Technology | Personal characteristics and achievements | To open the course to students who may not have an extensive technical background. |
Evidence required | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Points Attributed | 300 | 200 | 200 | Reduced based on feedback from students, teachers and guidance counsellors |
Method of Submission | Submission of PDF Report | Online Submission Portal (uploaded as single PDF) | Online Submission Portal (Enter responses online) | To make the process more streamlined for applicants |
No, all applicants either through the CAO or direct application to UL must submit either Option A or Option B for their Entrance Submission as outlined on this page.
Full course entry requirements can be found on the University of Limerick website.
Unfortunately, changes cannot be made once you have sent your submission via the online portal. Please email [email protected] if you have any queries or issues.
Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder. If you still cannot find the email, please email [email protected]
Yes, Option A of the Entrance Submission is virtually identical to Question 1 of the old portfolio format so you can submit your work using Option A.
Yes, all applicants must complete an Entrance Submission. In the case of mature students, a motivation letter outlining why you would like a place on ISE should also be submitted. If you are applying as a mature student, please email [email protected] for instructions on submitting your motivation letter.
Yes, all applicants must complete either Option A or Option B as outlined above.
The goal of Immersive Software Engineering is to turn curious, creative people like you into the best software engineers in the world.
University of Limerick
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