SRGS is a 5 week residential learning experience for Virginia's top high school students.  Admission to the program is highly selective and competitive.  Students who apply must designate their interest area from programs in Academics and the Fine Arts.  The application process starts in the Fall and involves many steps and reviews beginning at the base school and continuing to the County and then the State level.  Final determinations are usually made by the State in mid-April.  (Foreign Language Governor's School has a different application procedure and is not included in this process!) 

Summer Residential Governor's School

The application process, timeline and qualifications will be discussed in the meeting and students will be given a handout with additional details along with a nomination form. These programs are highly competitive. For the academic and mentorship programs, accepted students usually have extremely high GPAs, have taken a very rigorous course load, have outstanding standardized tests scores, and have partaken in extracurricular educational pursuits in their area of interest. For the fine and performing arts, students have usually excelled in their fine arts classes here, undertaken additional instruction outside school, and may also have won awards or recognitions for their work/performance.

For more general information, please visit the state website which will be updated for the 2012 session sometime in October.

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/index.shtml

Background

1. Program began in 1973 when Governor Linwood Holton established the first summer residential programs for 400 gifted students from across Virginia.  The program has expanded to serving more than 7500 gifted students from all parts of the Commonwealth.
2. Offers the State’s most able students academically and artistically challenging programs beyond those offered in their home schools. 
3. Students are challenged to acquire advanced skills.

Areas of study: 

• Visual and Performing Arts*
• Humanities
• Agriculture
• Math, Science and Technology (MST)
• Life sciences and Medicine (LSM) Mentorship*
• Marine Science Mentorship*
• Engineering/NASA Mentorship*

 *Visual and Performing Arts students participate in a statewide adjudication where they audition or present portfolios for review before a pair of professionals in the specific arts field.

*Mentorship:  Students are selected to work side by side with research scientists, physicians, and a variety of other professionals.  (Juniors only)

General Information:

1. Students focus on one special area of intellectual or artistic strength and study in a way that best suits the gifted learner’s needs.
2. Each program stresses non-traditional teaching and learning techniques.
3. Students live on campus of a college up to 5 weeks during the summer.
4. Students are involved in classroom and laboratory work, field studies, research, individual and group projects and performances, and seminars with noted scholars, visiting artists, and other professionals.
5. Students will have the opportunity to live, study, and get to know other students with similar interests and abilities from across Virginia.
6. Both co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are designed to encourage students’ interests and abilities.
7. Recreation and free time are provided.
8. Tuition is paid; only incidental fees and spending money would be needed by attendees.

Who can apply?

• Any Virginia gifted 10th or 11th grade student.
• Each school can only send a specific number of students
• Nominations may be made by teachers, counselors, peers, or by the students themselves.

How are students chosen?

A school committee chooses the nominees for their school.  The school nominates to the County level and the County nominates to the State.  (A student who is nominated by the school committee is not guaranteed acceptance.)  Consideration is given to the following:

• Academic records (grades and strength of curriculum)
• Test scores
• Extra-curricular activities
• Honors and awards
• Creativity
• Original essays
• Teacher recommendations
• Strong desire to learn
• Clean discipline record
• Commitment