Blue Ridge Virginia Governor's School
Inspiring and preparing students for the world beyond high school since 2000
Welcome to the Blue Ridge Virginia Governor's School (BRVGS) informational website for prospective applicants. You will find important information about BRVGS, answers to frequently-asked questions, and links to our Program of Studies, course descriptions, and BRVGS website on the page below.
If you have questions about BRVGS, please contact the BRVGS Administrative Team by clicking here and submitting your contact info.
Please see the bottom of this page for a link to the BRVGS Admission page and to the application itself.
What is BRVGS?
Blue Ridge Virginia Governor's School is a part-time, regional program for academically-motivated and high-achieving high school students in grades 9 through 12 in the public high schools of Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange.
Students apply to get into the program, (usually in the 8th grade) . BRVGS has a limited number of slots for each grade level.
How does BRVGS work?
Students take BRVGS classes as part of their regular schedule at their local high school. Most students take 2 credits per year from BRVGS, and the rest from their local schools.
9th and 10th grade classes are taught in person by a local teacher, and students use online tools to work on teams with students from other school districts on "real-world" projects.
Students take online courses through BRVGS in 11th and 12th grades. Available courses include engineering, healthcare and computer science courses from the University of Virginia, Health Care Humanities from Shenandoah University and college-level Math from Piedmont Virginia Community College. BRVGS student pay no tuition for college courses - BRVGS covers all tuition and related expenses for BRVGS college courses.
BRVGS 12th graders complete a Senior Capstone course as part of their regular schedule. The Capstone course , which can be on any valid topic that the student is interested in, includes a professional learning experience such as an internship or observation, a research paper and a related community service experience. To see online portfolios of previous senior projects, please click here.
Why should I join BRVGS?
BRVGS is very good at helping students to get into the college of their choice. Approximately 98% of our students go to four-year colleges, and over half of BRVGS graduates have attended the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University or William and Mary. BRVGS students have also been accepted into MIT, Stanford, all of the Service Academies and all of the Ivy League Schools.
Even more importantly, BRVGS prepares students with the skills necessary for success in college. BRVGS teaches specific skills, including time management, teamwork, problem-solving, writing and public presentation in all grade levels. To see the full list of skills taught and practiced in each grade in BRVGS, please click here.
BRVGS supports students with academic skills and for personal wellness. BRVGS has several staff members dedicated to supporting student with strategies and tips for academic improvement and for helping students to feel and be successful throughout their time in Blue Ridge. Please click here to see our student services and support page.
This informational video about BRVGS includes more information about activities for each grade level and videos from graduates and current students:
To see more information about the BRVGS application process, please click here to go to the admissions page of the BRVGS website.
To directly access the BRVGS Application, Click HERE.