Anonymous
Post 03/08/2026 12:19     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If I recall correctly student has to first be nominated by your school. Then the county has to nominate you. Then the state level selects. You should have already received if the kid has been nominated by the school and around this time the county nominates. If your school hasn’t nominated your kid then better luck next time.


Yes this is the process. If you don’t make it to the end, try again. Kid got nominated by school and division as a sophomore but didn’t get in. Applied again the next year and got it. Seems quite difficult for a younger kid.


By division do you mean district? Would you be able to share which program?


Not sure what you mean by district. Here are the school divisions in Virginia:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/about-vdoe/virginia-school-directories/virginia-public-school-listing-by-division

There are also regions, but that doesn't have anything to do with Gov School as far as I know.

My kid did the Humanities program.
Anonymous
Post 03/08/2026 11:14     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If I recall correctly student has to first be nominated by your school. Then the county has to nominate you. Then the state level selects. You should have already received if the kid has been nominated by the school and around this time the county nominates. If your school hasn’t nominated your kid then better luck next time.


Yes this is the process. If you don’t make it to the end, try again. Kid got nominated by school and division as a sophomore but didn’t get in. Applied again the next year and got it. Seems quite difficult for a younger kid.


By division do you mean district? Would you be able to share which program?
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 23:01     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:not at all


salty your kid didn't get in huh
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 16:47     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
not at all
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 15:48     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:If I recall correctly student has to first be nominated by your school. Then the county has to nominate you. Then the state level selects. You should have already received if the kid has been nominated by the school and around this time the county nominates. If your school hasn’t nominated your kid then better luck next time.


Yes this is the process. If you don’t make it to the end, try again. Kid got nominated by school and division as a sophomore but didn’t get in. Applied again the next year and got it. Seems quite difficult for a younger kid.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 15:46     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Agreed it helps. Not the only the thing that got DS in but he’s now at a HYPSM.

Good to hear- was just coming here to say every high stats kid we know who did it was denied to ivies/ivy+ schools and they almost all go to UVA.

I think UVA is a great school, but not what these particular kids wanted. I was also surprised bc I thought this would help push results a little more.


My DS got into Harvard REA this year after going to Gov School (Humanities).


Good news! I was hoping it wasn’t a program issue! People who did it loved it, but were disappointed w/college apps.


It looks good for college apps yes but it doesn’t guarantee anything. It’s not an issue with the program.
Anonymous
Post 03/07/2026 15:30     Subject: Re:Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
awaiting Ivy ---will tell you, did the math camp, got into all EA schools including gtech, but dont believe gov school helped with that
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 20:10     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
If I recall correctly student has to first be nominated by your school. Then the county has to nominate you. Then the state level selects. You should have already received if the kid has been nominated by the school and around this time the county nominates. If your school hasn’t nominated your kid then better luck next time.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 19:54     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Has anyone's child been accepted to the engineering gov school? The odds are so low. My DC applied when they didn't realize that only 12 are accepted state-wide. They were moved to the state level round, which it seemed like all who were moved to the county level from her school did. I'm sure it is dependent on how many students from each school applied for engineering as well. Interested in first hand experience of how the mentorship was. We are in Fairfax and not in TJ so DC knows the chances of being accepted at the state level is slim to none.


My child got into Humanities and was accepted to an Ivy REA. Yes he had a number of ECs and awards related to his passion subject area. Just going to Governors and taking courses there won’t mean much to the top colleges. Need to thread the projects/research from Governors to something else to show the broader impact and takeaway from the program.


My DC isn't looking to attend for the college app. It's for the experience specifically in engineering. They have no interest in Ivies and the schools that are targeted are OOS. Im looking for the rare 12 that have been accepted into the engineering gov school. Too bad they don't publish stats.

Congrats to your child on their acceptance!
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 19:11     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:Has anyone's child been accepted to the engineering gov school? The odds are so low. My DC applied when they didn't realize that only 12 are accepted state-wide. They were moved to the state level round, which it seemed like all who were moved to the county level from her school did. I'm sure it is dependent on how many students from each school applied for engineering as well. Interested in first hand experience of how the mentorship was. We are in Fairfax and not in TJ so DC knows the chances of being accepted at the state level is slim to none.


My child got into Humanities and was accepted to an Ivy REA. Yes he had a number of ECs and awards related to his passion subject area. Just going to Governors and taking courses there won’t mean much to the top colleges. Need to thread the projects/research from Governors to something else to show the broader impact and takeaway from the program.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 16:21     Subject: Re:Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
My understanding is that Governors School is treated like any other tier 1 extracurricular like national science Olympiads or some of the premier research programs. There are over a dozen states that have programs similar to Virginia so they are well known and respected. By itself it doesn't guarantee acceptance anywhere, but it stands out on college applications.

My DS is nervous waiting for the decision in April. He did make it to state consideration.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 16:17     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Has anyone's child been accepted to the engineering gov school? The odds are so low. My DC applied when they didn't realize that only 12 are accepted state-wide. They were moved to the state level round, which it seemed like all who were moved to the county level from her school did. I'm sure it is dependent on how many students from each school applied for engineering as well. Interested in first hand experience of how the mentorship was. We are in Fairfax and not in TJ so DC knows the chances of being accepted at the state level is slim to none.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 14:16     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Agreed it helps. Not the only the thing that got DS in but he’s now at a HYPSM.

Good to hear- was just coming here to say every high stats kid we know who did it was denied to ivies/ivy+ schools and they almost all go to UVA.

I think UVA is a great school, but not what these particular kids wanted. I was also surprised bc I thought this would help push results a little more.


Fwiw, my high stats kid was accepted to her SCEA school this year, and so was one of her friends from Gov school. One Harvard and one Yale so far and I know multiple kids waiting on RD.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 14:13     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Agreed it helps. Not the only the thing that got DS in but he’s now at a HYPSM.

Good to hear- was just coming here to say every high stats kid we know who did it was denied to ivies/ivy+ schools and they almost all go to UVA.

I think UVA is a great school, but not what these particular kids wanted. I was also surprised bc I thought this would help push results a little more.


My DS got into Harvard REA this year after going to Gov School (Humanities).


Do these Gov School to T10 kids have other incredible ECs like non-profits, passion projects that tutor 500 kids, first author research or math Olympiad winners type resumes? Or mostly top grades and scores and normal ECs inside their school?
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2026 14:09     Subject: Is Summer Residential Governor’s Schools a big deal?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Agreed it helps. Not the only the thing that got DS in but he’s now at a HYPSM.

Good to hear- was just coming here to say every high stats kid we know who did it was denied to ivies/ivy+ schools and they almost all go to UVA.

I think UVA is a great school, but not what these particular kids wanted. I was also surprised bc I thought this would help push results a little more.


My DS got into Harvard REA this year after going to Gov School (Humanities).


Good news! I was hoping it wasn’t a program issue! People who did it loved it, but were disappointed w/college apps.