The Agricultural Science & Technology Education (ASTE) Center in Vernon is a regional program serving the towns of Bolton, East Windsor, Ellington, Manchester, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford, Tolland, Union and Vernon. Students in all 10 towns must complete a common state application to enroll in the program.

Acceptance is based primarily on the student's interest in agriculture but academic, attendance and behavioral records are also considered. Three letters of recommendation from the student's guidance counselor, current teacher, and an unrelated adult are required.

We encourage interested students to attend our annual Fall Open House in November and completed applications due in December. Applications are reviewed and scored by the ASTE staff and then interviews are scheduled for January. We interview applicants with their parent(s) or guardian(s) to review the program requirements and address any questions or concerns that arise.

Applications are accepted beyond December but we highly recommend that students apply as early as possible to avoid delays and conflicts when registering for Freshmen year courses. Applications that are received after the initial recruitment period may be placed on a waitlist if program capacity is reached.