Waterford Institute of Technology is to run a week of virtual open days this month to help local prospective undergraduate students with their going to college questions.
Last year over 1,600 of the 5,000 plus new higher education-going students in the region in 2019, or almost 1 in 3 chose WIT.
When it comes to individual counties, well over 50% of higher education-going students from Waterford chose WIT.
WIT's Virtual Open Days will take place completely online at www.wit.ie/virtualopenday between Monday, 20th and Friday 24th April.
Each afternoon that week will be given over exclusively to one of the academic schools (business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, and science and computing).
And on Wednesday there is an additional morning event for adult learners with specific queries around returning to college as a mature applicant.
WIT's Virtual Open Days schedule
2pm-4pm Monday, 20 April School of Business Virtual Open Day: Business, Accounting, Digital Marketing and Retail Management CAO courses.
2pm-4pm Tuesday, 21 April School of Engineering Virtual Open Day: Engineering, Built Environment, Engineering Technology and Architecture CAO courses.
10am-12pm Wednesday, 22 April Mature Student and Student Supports Virtual Open Day.
2pm-4pm Wednesday, 22 April School of Health Sciences Virtual Open Day Nursing, Health Sciences, Sport and Exercise Sciences CAO courses.
2pm-4pm Thursday, 23 April School of Humanities Virtual Open Day: Arts, Social Science, Law, Psychology, Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Art, Design and Music CAO courses.
2pm-4pm Friday, 24 April School of Science and Computing Virtual Open Day: Laboratory Science, Land Science and Computing CAO courses.
During each virtual open day prospective students or parents of CAO applicants will have the chance to chat live with lecturers from that academic School as well as support staff. They can also take an interactive tour of the WIT campus to get a flavour of what to expect.
Marketing and outreach officer at WIT, John Power explains how it works. "Each day lecturers and support staff from the academic school scheduled for that day will be online to answer questions which will help CAO applicants choose the college course that's right for them. What's really interesting is people can join the conversation online and see the questions other prospective students have."
"A big part of each virtual open day is the chance to talk with lecturers who deliver our undergraduate programmes and the support staff from right across the institute. Online each day you can chat with staff from our admissions, schools liaison, outreach, fees and grants, accommodation and student life and learning departments," he adds.
The timing of the virtual open days are crucial for CAO applicants or anybody considering a full-time undergraduate course this year. At midday on Tuesday, 5 May the CAO Online Change of Mind facility becomes available, allowing applicants to amend their choices for free. Friday, 1 May is the final application date for late applicants, including mature applicants to WIT, school leavers who have been exploring other options, students on further educations courses and those who have completed their Leaving Cert and are under 23 who are interested in a return to education.
"The interactive virtual campus tour gives students the option of touring the main Cork Road campus where they can see what classrooms and lecture halls look like. They can also explore the facilities at the WIT Arena virtually."
Power adds that when it is safe to do so, WIT would like to run free guided one-hour campus tours with WIT's graduate ambassadors for future students .
