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Frequently Asked Questions |
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ELIGIBILITY
1. When you say 10th and 11th graders are eligible to apply, does that mean students who will be rising 10th and 11th graders when the programs are in session during the summer?
No. It means that the students are 10th and 11th graders at the time of the application deadline, in the winter. They are rising 11th and 12th graders when participating in the programs.
2. Do you ever make exceptions to the grade level restrictions?
No.
3. Do you have to be in the gifted program at your school to apply to a Pennsylvania Governor’s School?
No. As long as a student meets the minimum eligibility criteria, he/she is welcome to make application. Gifted students are well served in a Governor’s School but one need not be identified as such to apply.
4. My child lives part of the year with my ex-spouse in another state. Is my child eligible?
As long as the Pennsylvania resident parent has custodial rights, yes.
5. We own property in Pennsylvania but our chief residence is out of state. Are our children eligible?
No.
6. We are from Virginia but are currently stationed in PA with the military. Is our child eligible?
Yes.
7. My family is from another country. We are not yet American citizens but we reside and work in Pennsylvania. Is my child eligible?
Yes, the parent or legal guardian’s residency determines eligibility, not citizenship.
8. I am a foreign exchange student staying as a guest with an American family this year and going to school here. Am I eligible?
No.
COSTS AND COMMITMENT
1. What does it cost to attend a Pennsylvania Governor’s School?
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides tuition, room, board, class supplies and program activities for those students who are accepted to participate. In return, students are expected to be in residence for 35 days without absences and families are expected to provide transportation to the program, away from the program at the end, and pocket money. Additionally, the family is responsible for a residential life deposit that is returned providing the student has returned college property undamaged, including—but not limited to-- keys, linens, library books, dorm furnishings. Recent charges have ranged from $75 - $125, depending on the campus where a Governor’s School is held
2. Do you have to attend for the full 35 days?
Yes. There are no exceptions and no absences from campus allowed while it is in session.
3. Even on weekends?
Even on weekends.
4. May parents visit?
Each Governor’s School has designated visiting days for families. Parents are asked not to visit other than during those designated times.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
1. Where can I get an application?
Hard copies of the applications will be available in all public, parochial and private secondary schools in Pennsylvania by the first week in October. They are also available online. The link is on the upper right side of this page.
2. The application asks what my Intermediate Unit is. What is an Intermediate Unit?
Pennsylvania is divided into twenty-nine Intermediate Unit regions. An Intermediate Unit is a regional educational service agency. All school districts and non-public schools that fall within district boundaries are assigned to a given Intermediate Unit. You can call the Information Line at (570) 524-5244 for assistance in identifying yours. You can also visit to view a map of Pennsylvania’s Intermediate Units.
3. Do you ever make exceptions to the deadlines on an individual basis?
No.
4. The directions in the Governor’s School for the Arts application state that for music I have to make an audio recording. I’d rather make a video recording. Is that okay?
The directions in the Governor’s School for the Health Care application state that I have to propose a leadership project. I’d rather write about an issue related to health care. May I do that?
In response to both questions, no. The directions have been developed to help the applicant produce a specific demonstration of the type of talent for which the selection panels are looking. To substitute something else will not give the selection panel information needed to make a decision about the applicant. Thus the outcome will be an unsuccessful application.
5. I am applying to a Governor’s School that requires teacher references. May I have my minister fill out one instead?
No. The Governor’s School selection panel wants to know how the applicant functions in the specified academic setting.
6. May I attach extra references or have my state representative send a letter of recommendation?
No. Extra unsolicited references will be pulled from the application and not presented to the selection panel.
7. I am applying to a Governor’s School that requires teacher references. I only moved to this school last year and I don’t think my teachers know me as well as my teachers in my old district. May I go back to my old school for references?
Yes, you may as long as the teachers at the other school send their references directly to your current guidance counselor on time. Remember, the selection panel is very interested in recent information about you. Also, consider that while other students in your current classes may have lived in your new district longer than you have, they may not have known your teacher before the current semester and do not have an advantage over you.
8. The Governor’s School for the Arts application doesn’t require teacher references. Is it okay if I attach some anyway?
No.
9. If I apply in two different art areas at the Governor’s School for the Arts, may I still apply to another Governor’s School?
Yes, one other.
SELECTION PROCESSES
1. If I apply to two different Governor’s Schools, will that have any bearing on the outcome of my applications?
No. The selection panels are blind to who has applied to more than one program.
2. Do you have a quota system for individual high schools or regions?
No. While the goal is to have each Intermediate Unit region represented at a Governor’s School, provided there are competitive candidates from each. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. There are well over 900 high schools in Pennsylvania, and thus it is impossible to guarantee representation for each. The selection criteria are based on competition between individuals, not schools.
3. If a candidate is unsuccessful, can his family file an appeal to have the application reconsidered?
No. The selections are competitive and enrollments are limited. The selection process cannot be reopened. The Governor’s Schools state “no appeals” in applications.
4. If a candidate is unsuccessful, can he obtain an individual assessment of why he was unsuccessful?
No. Because the selections are competitive, the reason most often lies not so much in what anyone did “wrong,” but in the fact that the successful candidate performed more strongly. Selection criteria are listed under the profile of each Governor’s School on this website.
5. If a candidate is unsuccessful, can he or she attend if the parents pay the full costs of participation?
No.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
1. Where do students stay on campus?
In dormitories.
2. Are they mixed in with college students or other groups? No, the Governor’s Schools are assigned exclusive, gender-separate quarters.
3. What about supervision in the dorms?
Each Governor’s School has a residential life staff comprised of college students or graduate students who also serve as teaching assistants. Many of the programs hire alumni for residential life staff.
4. How many students are assigned to a dorm room?
In a standard dorm room, two.
5. Can I pursue a planned program of athletic training while I am at Governor’s School?
While there is time for personal jogging, casual work-outs and the occasional informal team sport, Governor’s School schedules do not permit formal athletic training. Furthermore, most campuses do not allow anyone under 18 to use weight facilities, and students may not use or store heavy weight equipment in their dorm rooms or elsewhere on campus.
6. How much pocket money should I give my child?
Pocket money is a personal matter and should be relative to how much the student uses at home. Remember to include enough for coins to do laundry, postage stamps and snack bar items.
7. My religious observances take place outside of Sunday morning. May I be excused to attend services?
The Governor’s School policy allows up to 3 hours per week for a student to be excused to attend religious services that fall outside of Sunday morning. The student is expected to immediately make up work that was missed.
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