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Welcome to Our Newsletter!
At the Governor’s School for Science and Technology (GSST), we are committed to providing families with the information they need to determine whether our program is the right fit for their student. In this edition, we’ll share valuable insights on how to prepare for a successful application and what it takes to thrive as a student in the GSST program. Whether your student is already considering applying or you’re exploring the possibility, this newsletter will guide you through the important steps for making informed decisions and setting up your student for success.
Overview of GSST Application Process:
GSST employs a holistic application process to select the most qualified students from the pool of applicants in each school division and academic strand. To clarify, students applying to the GSST will only be considered alongside other students from their own school division. For example, if Jasmine, a sophomore at Warwick High School, is applying to the Engineering strand, she will only compete with other students from Newport News who have also applied for the Engineering strand.
Academic factors considered during the evaluation process include:
- Rigor of courses taken, particularly those in math and science, with additional weighting given to advanced courses (honors, AP, IB, DE).
- Grades in all courses; class ranking.
- Recommendations from one math and one science teacher.
- Testing: SOL scores and scores from AP exams and PSAT, if available.
Applicants must also meet the science and math prerequisites for the Academic Strand to which they are applying.
Factors that are not included in the application:
- Extracurricular activities
- Previous research
- Essays
Logistics of the Process:
Students complete an online application available on the GSST website from the beginning of November until the application portal closes at the end of February.
The information students are asked to provide includes:
- Selection of academic strand (Biological Sciences, Engineering, or Computational Sciences).
- Demographic information such as student and parents' names and address
- Names and email addresses of the counselor, a math teacher, and a science teacher.
The home school counselor provides information on high school transcripts, including details on courses, grades, and test data. Math and science teachers complete online recommendations.
Important Information:
Applications open on November 1st.
It is highly recommended that you complete your online application as soon as possible so that the GSST registrar, divisional gifted coordinator, and home school counselor can track your application status.
A virtual information session will be scheduled in January to provide an overview of the academic strands and the application process. In the meantime, to view last year's video showcasing the online application, click here.
Governor's School Course Snapshots:
Curious about what happens inside the Governor's School? Click here to see the October GSST Update for the most recent events and classroom snapshots.
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