Governor’s School is a challenging and enriching Virginia program designed for highly motivated students who are looking for a challenging summer experience.  The selection process is extremely competitive. Most students selected rank in the top 10% of their class and have scored in the 90th percentile on standardized measures of ability or achievement tests. These residential programs run from late June to late July. Only students who are available during that time frame and whose records match these criteria should apply.

The Academic Summer Residential Governor’s School programs include:

• Mathematics, Science, and Technology
• Marine Science
• Humanities
• Engineering
• Agriculture
• Medicine and Health Sciences

The Visual and Performing Arts Summer Residential Governor’s School programs include:

• Dance
• Theatre
• Instrumental Music
• Vocal Music
• Visual Arts

2026 Virginia Summer Governor’s School

The 2026 Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s School Academic, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages programs have separate applications, processes, and timelines. Refer to the appropriate section for the desired program.

Academic and Mentorship Programs

Application process and timeline for Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools 

• October 2025: E-notify message to all 10th and 11th grade students.
• October 2025 at your school: School meetings to review how to apply for Governor’s School.
• November 5, 2025: Complete the Student Interest Form ( no late submissions will be accepted).
• December 12, 2025:
  • All applications including your letters of recommendation, essays, and supporting documents are due to the school contact.
  • Applications must be typed using the fillable PDF provided. No handwritten submissions will be accepted.
• December 2025/January 2026: Your school will conduct a screening meeting to determine who will advance from the school level to the county level.
• January 2026: You will receive an email from your school's governor’s school contact letting you know your status about whether you will advance to the county level. It is critical to understand that if you move to the county level that does not automatically qualify you for the summer program. For this reason, it is advisable for you to pursue alternative opportunities throughout the year.
• March 2026: Those candidates who advanced to the county level will receive an email from the Advanced Academics Office if you did not advance to the state level. It is critical to understand that if you advance to the state level you are not guaranteed automatic qualification for the summer program. It is advisable for you to pursue alternative opportunities throughout the year.
• April 2026: For those of you who moved to the state level, you will receive a letter from the state noting your status with the Governor’s school. From that point forward, all communication about the logistics of the experience will come from the state.

*Schools may have established internal process deadlines that applicants are responsible for adhering to as well.

Applications

Go to the Virginia Department of Education's page for Governor's School . The following applications are available for the summer of 2026:

• Application for Mathematics, Science, and Technology
• Application for Marine Science
• Application for Humanities
• Application for Engineering
• Application for Agriculture
• Application for Medicine and Health Science

Application Deadline

The application form needs to be filled out electronically, printed, and delivered to the governor’s school contact at your school. All applications must include the scoring rubrics completed by two teachers. No late applications will be accepted.

Academics and Mentorships due by December 12, 2025 to Summer Residential Governor's Schools (SRGS) school coordinators.  

School Contacts

Each school contact has one or more staff members available to support the student during the Academic application process. In some cases, the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) contacts are different from the academic school contacts. Refer to the VPA page for the VPA school contact information, application details and timeline .

General information about Summer Residential Governor’s Schools

This information is from the VA Department of Education website :

Summer Residential Governor’s Schools provide gifted high school juniors and seniors with intensive educational experiences in visual and performing arts; humanities; mathematics, science, and technology; or through mentorships in marine science, medicine and health sciences, or engineering.

Each Summer Residential Governor’s School focuses on one special area of interest. Students live on a college or university campus for up to four weeks each summer. During this time, 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. In the three mentorships, students are selected to work side-by-side with research scientists, physicians, and a variety of other professionals. A director and a student-life staff provide supervision of students 24 hours a day, throughout the program.

FCPS pays the tuition for all students. Students are responsible for special program fees, transportation, and incidentals.