HEC is full!

Posted 28 May 2010

This year’s Higher Education Choices (HEC) conference at Harper Adams will be bursting at the seams now that all places have been filled a whole month before the closing date.

HEC is a two-day residential course that gives 16-18 year olds a chance to experience life at university and has become so popular that the University College is now operating a waiting list for further applications.

Richard Jopling, Head of Marketing said: “HEC has been growing in popularity year by year but the speed with which the places have filled has up this time has surprised all of us.

“Our target intake for the year was 350 students and we have tried to restrict the places to 17-year-olds but it provides such a valuable service in giving professional advice on rural and land-based course choices that students come in numbers from all over the UK and Ireland.”

The conference will start on Monday July 5 when there will be sessions giving advice on courses both at Harper Adams, and from other universities that provide rural, animal and land-based courses. Students are then given overnight accommodation to experience the residential aspects of life at a University College.

Practical classes will run on the following day to provide students a ‘taster’ of the course areas that interest them the most to help them to make their final UCAS choices when they return to school or college.

Sally Bishop, HEC Co-ordinator said: “We plan to review the situation on Monday June 14 and if we are able to take any more students, we will be pleased to do so. If people are on the waiting list and we can’t offer them a place, then we will return their registration fee and offer them a guaranteed place for next year.

“If you’re interested in HEC 2011, then don’t delay your application because we intend to take on-line bookings from January 1."

For more information, see www.harper-adams.ac.uk/hec