<p>So I'm applying to this new thing in PA called the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Engineering and Technology (<a href="http://www.lehigh.edu/engineering/faculty/undergraduate/pgset/">http://www.lehigh.edu/engineering/faculty/undergraduate/pgset/</a>). It's a new addition to the old one in PA - the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences. Anyways, I'm really worried since I have 3 B's on my current report card, I won't be accepted. My transcript has all A's (and it says in the application that they place emphasis on the transcript), it's just my current report card I'm scared of. I have a ton of EC's and awards and I should be getting good rec's, and I'm a good essay writer. Can someone with experience with Governor's School tell me if my situation is ok or not???? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Please…anyone?</p>
<p>I’m also applying and would love to hear stats or people who were accepted!</p>
<p>I do know that admission is by area so if no one applying from your area in pa has done any better than you’re fine. </p>
I applied for this year and I see that you two applied for it last year. Did you get accepted, and if so what was the program like? Did you learn anything about acceptance statistics?
Governor’s Schools appear to be regional - my state goes by county. That is, they are limited to two people per county in my state (if your state has many counties, it might be two per region). So it is great to apply, because not everyone applies so you have a better chance than like the top twenty kids from each HS apply.
I was told last minute so barely had time to do my application. Didn’t get in to Governor’s School, but still was accepted to two Ivies later 
I didn’t have much time to apply either, but I still got my application in and I’m really eager to hear back. I know I got great recommendations and my math and science grades are excellent, but I have no idea what I’m up against. Hopefully very few people applied in my area, I know I was the only one at my high school and the application deadline was extended too, which may be a good sign.
I can’t speak specifically for PA, but in my state Gov School is decently competitive for science & engineering (somewhere around 20-40% acceptance, depending on the year— engineering is normally on the lower end and science is a tad bit higher). Somehow I got into both (I was allowed to attend for two consecutive years) and I celebrated each acceptance, only finding out the selectively afterwards. I’d highly recommend the experience. You are surrounded by like minded students from around the state and gain experience that typically isn’t available in high school. I personally was placed in a lab each year and worked on a project either with another gov school student (during the engineering program) or alongside graduate students (during the science program). I’m now a coauthor on a published scientific journal article due to Gov School. I likely wouldn’t have been accepted to my top choice college without this experience, so I’m very grateful I was selected.
As for your grades- if your transcript has all A’s I think you should be good in that respect. Even if you’re a little scared about being rejected, you don’t even have a chance if you don’t apply- so go for it!
Also, in response to the comments about selection based on region, some states (like mine) run it so you’re competing against all applicants and pick the top students from that pool (no quotas based on area). I’m not sure about PA though, so maybe check online somewhere?
If anyone has other questions for a Gov School alum, inbox me or tag me in a comment and I’ll try to answer the best I can. Good luck to everyone applying! It’ll be the best summer of high school!
@Kitten23 I’ve applied to both the Science governor’s school and the Engineering governor’s school. In PA, they will take at least one person from each “Intermediate Unit”, or group of counties. I am the only student applying from one of the best Lehigh County high schools, and my IU includes Carbon and Lehigh Counties. Many people do not apply due to Europe summer trips.
Do you think I have a good chance at either school? From what I have heard PJAS and science fair are a big boost. (Sorry for long post, copied it from another thread)
GPA: 3.91 UW/4.37W (This will go up through 11th and 12th grades by AP classes)
AP is 5 weighted, Hrs is 4.5
9th Grade:
Hrs College Algebra (A)
Hrs Biology (A)
Hrs American Studies 1 (A-)
GHP English (A+) (Hrs would not fit in my schedule)
Hrs French 2: (A)
Band (A Plus)
PLTW intro to Engineering Design (A, 8/9 on final exam)
10th Grade:
Hrs Trigonometry (A)
Hrs Chemistry (A+)
AP US History (A, 5 on AP Exam)
Hrs French 3 (A)
Hrs English 2 (B+) (Very Hard Class for me)
Band (A+)
PLTW Principles of Engineering (A, 9/9 on final exam)
Took Physics 1 Hrs over the summer
11th Grade Classes with grades so far:
AP Calculus (A+)
AP World History (A-)
AP Physics C (A+)
Hrs English 3 (A-)
AP Statistics (A+)
Band (A+)
PLTW Aerospace Engineering (A+)
Likely taking Physics 2 as a college course (assuming I succeed in Physics C) in 12th grade.
French would not fit this year, probably going to take it online or through a community college.
SAT: (Will retake again), did not send PSAT becasue they were bad (2130)
R: 690
M:800
W: 760 12 Essay
2250/2400
Math Level 2: 780
US History: 780
1560/1600
Extracurriculars
60+ Volunteer Hours Each Year
Started up Book Drives in several local elementary schools
Part of Indian American Youth organisation co-run by a group of four people including myself
Marching Band (Trombone Section Leader in Grades 11, 12)
Concert Band (1st Chair as 11th grader and 12th grader)
Jazz Band (Varsity, or upper Jazz band, all four years, since 9th grade, as Bass Trombone)
Math League
Science Fair: 10 Grade: Category award (top few placers) in tri-state science fair (engineering category) for developing a magnetic fluid powered range extender to an electric vehicle. First place at PJAS
9th grade: Perfect Score at PJAS competition
Science, National, and Math Honour Society
I AM VERY INTERESTED IN TRANSPORTATION. MY YOU TUBE CHANNEL AND ESSAYS BELOW EXEMPLIFY THIS AS MY IDENTITY.
Started You Tube Channel in which software such as Google Earth is used to depict my future transportation ideas and improvements to the current transportation and infrastructure system in America
Description: “Welcome to WEBEO! The source of all your transportation needs and interests! Here is a channel that is a little different from the crowd. I focus on using software such as Google Earth to depict FUTURE TRANSPORTATION IDEAS. Since I was young, I always wanted to build the finest infrastructure in the world. So what better way than just to implement those skills into developing possibilities to enhance America and the real world! From new railway lines to reducing traffic and commute times, strong infrastructure is vital to DRIVE A REGION’S ECONOMY! After watching one of my videos, you will see how my ideas can directly affect YOU, YOUR BUSINESS, and YOUR WORLD!
REMEMBER: VIDEO + WEB = WEBEO”
Essay 1: Who are you? - Wrote about me spending countless hours on transportation ideas (wooden tracks, drawing interchanges, SimCity 4, and my You Tube Videos
Essay 2: Most Influential Event: Wrote about a train that I was on. It approached a curve way to fast, but somehow managed to get past the curve. This, the conductor told me, was curve straightening. This little science detail allowed me to see science as the summation of minute details into a big picture. Curve straightening reduces travel time by as much as 50 percent, and still allows economy to boom at same time.
I think I am a decent essay writer (got 12 on SAT essay)
Saw teachers’ Recommendations:
Math: Statistics teacher: “One of the best students I’ve ever had”
Science: Physics Teacher: “One of the best students I’ve ever had”, “Highest grade in class”, etc
My 9th and 10th grades are weak, and so was SAT reading score.
What are my chances?
I have a student interested in this program and would love more information about resources related to it.
@agupte I would say that you have a very good chance. I wish you the best of luck!
@Kitten23 Does anybody known when the PGSET decisions come out? They said sometime in March, so they should be soon.
@agupte I’m not from PA, so I’m not sure on the specific date they are likely to release decisions. In other states it’s around mid March (15th-20th or so) for reference.
They emailed their decision to me yesterday, and I got accepted!!! And @agupte your resume is more impressive than mine so if they are mailing to you instead of emailing and haven’t heard back yet, Im sure you’ll be accepted too!
@mattman37 How do you know if you will get eMail or regular mail. I did not get any information yet?
Last year someone with much lower stats (2000 SAT, no science fair) got in, so hopefully I will get in too, unless I messed up the application. 8-|
Oh on the application they had an option. I think I selected email but am not sure.
My counselor also sent in the application on Jan 28…
@Kitten23 I do know that PGSS (the other governor’s school) sends out letters first week of April.
yeah I picked the option for email. If you don’t hear soon maybe call or email them or something. I got a notification on my phone and just saw PGSET and got super excited haha. I wasn’t expecting anything until march 13th like the paper said though
I got wait list for PGEST. What are the odds that I will be accepted?
@mattman37 I got wait listed. I was shocked at the decision.
However, I am an Asian Male, and the number of applicants more than doubled this year (It is currently 211). I also applied to Sciences, but chances of that are now very slim. However male to female applicant ratio is about 50-50 so hopefully things will go better there. We’ll see…
@agupte that comes as a shock to me too based on your resume relative to mine. You might get to go if someone else decides that they can’t go anymore. Also, admission may have been based on regions of PA so maybe I got lucky in my region. I’m a white male so I don’t know if they are shooting for diversity but that may have made it more difficult for me. I don’t think your background will have much effect unless a lot of Asians applied
@mattman37 I do live in the LV, only 10 min from Lehigh University. Maybe they do not want students from close by?