Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
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Anonymous
| I echo what PP said about the language programs -- our DC was selected and nervous about attending and loved it. There are 3 language academies at one location (Washington & Lee) - French, German & Spanish. They have events together, but each student can only speak their assigned language. DC got into several good schools across the country (ended up choosing UVA, which was about middle of the schools based on rankings). The students also have to give up their cell phones/computers for the experience. It was very fun at the end when they were finally allowed to speak English again -- none of them knew what each other sounded like when speaking English. DC was so immersed that it was an effort to relearn speaking in English for a couple of days. A great experience and I imagine the other academies are similar in their categories. |
Anonymous
| Does anyone have any knowledge about the experience at the music Gov schools? Does piano qualify or does it have to be a band or orchestra instrument? |
Anonymous
Yes, the science ones are TINY (Marine Science only has 6). This is because the kids are actually paired with professors' labs, and there's a very limited number of those. |
Anonymous
I also participated in the 90s (one of the foreign language academies - I don’t recall them having all those other programs at the time, I think most are newer). For me, it was my first real language immersion experience and really pushed me into a new level of language expertise, surely helped me get a 5 on AP exam in that language, and probably helped me get into UVA. At the time (and surely now) it was very competitive and drew from all across the state. I also recall that of the 60 kids who went my summer at least 20 ended up enrolling at UVA (including me) so I see that as evidence that the state schools must look favorably on the experience and want to keep their high performers in state. |
Anonymous
Yes, piano does qualify. Our DD was there at Radford and we were able to listen to the kids perform on the last day. It was AMAZING! |
Anonymous
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My daughter got into PAVAN this year (PAVAN is the VA Governor's School, but for performing arts). She's an 8th grader. We didn't know how competitive it was and still don't. She's young compared to most kids who go there, and we didn't want to apply for the residential program. We didn't even check to see if there is a residential program for PAVAN. She will go in the morning for classes and come back in the evening. It's a 2-week program which is completely free. A bus will pick her up and drop her back.
My daughter has done CTY (Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins) classes for years. That's a program for gifted kids. You have to take an exam called SCAT to get in. However, you pay through your nose for that program. |
Anonymous
| Strange that MD doesn’t have this-I know DE did. One of my best friends went for music. She met her senior year boyfriend there - he was there for some government program |
Anonymous
I did a marine science VA governor's school in the 90s and it was one of the best experiences of my life. We stayed on an island in the Chesapeake Bay and would go out with marine scientists on a fishing boat or in kayaks to gather and study wildlife. We set crab traps and hauled them in to study the sea floor. We kayaked at night to gather bioluminescent plankton. We fished and dissected the contents of their stomachs. It was so so neat. I heard recently that they closed the island we stayed on because it was sinking with rising sea levels from global warming. So sad because it was an absolutely spectacular location. |
Anonymous
I went in High school for music as I was told it was good. Yeah……While it was fun and free….it isn’t worth the time if your a serious music performance student looking to have a career. Go to Interlochen, go to one of the serious camps, stay home and practice and take lessons with the performers in the NSO/National Opera….or get in the train once a week (4hours each way) and take lessons with the performers in the NYPhil or the Met. Basically get ahold of your idol, audition for them, and see if you can study with them for the summer…..then practice your ass off for ten hours a day. |
Anonymous
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My kid did a language one in summer 2021 and, honestly, it was awful. Boring and rigid with very immature activities for high schoolers (show and tell with stuffed animals sort of stuff). Without the residential component, there was zero appeal.
I will say that I think it helped his college application. He got into a reach school. So I’m glad he stuck it out. But it was not fun and I didn’t get the feeling the teachers were aware or cared the kids were miserable. (STEM and performing arts were in person. Only the language kids got robbed last summer. Was group biology safer than group Spanish? ) |
Anonymous
To clarify, the language programs in summer 2021 were virtual. No Bueno. |
Anonymous
I wonder if the problem was the school itself. My daughter went to Radford for a dance intensive last summer that was residential. We had wanted to send her to one at JMU, but they weren’t offering room and board, just the classes (she wound up just driving in for the Saturday session) Anyway, some of the schools still weren’t opening their dorms for summer last year. |
Anonymous
| How does one apply for such programs? Do you have to be nominated by your school? |
Anonymous
It’s a goo deal but by no means a big deal for bigger picture. |
Anonymous
| *good |