The Arkansas Governor’s School is a four-week summer residential program for upcoming high school seniors who are residents of the state of Arkansas. The program is funded by the Arkansas State Legislature as a portion of the biennial appropriation for Gifted and Talented Programs through the State Department of Education. State funds provide tuition, room, board, and instructional materials for each student who attends the four-week program on the site of a residential college campus, sponsored by the State. The Arkansas Governor’s School is a non-credit program that seeks to create a unique experience for a select group of Arkansas’ best students—the potential leaders of the 21st century. Both inside and outside the classrooms, AGS provides highly motivated, creative students with an intellectual atmosphere impossible to sustain in ordinary academic settings. The excitement of intellectual and artistic pursuits and the expectation of significant conceptual gains permeate all aspects of the participants’ lives for the full four weeks.
October 3, 2022. Nomination/Applications open.
January 24, 2023. Student application materials due.
February 8, 2023. Teacher Recommendation, School Evaluation Form, Test Score Form, and Transcripts due.
March 15, 2023. Selection results sent to schools and applicants.
May 1, 2023. Attendance confirmation due.
Only students who are residents of Arkansas and who are presently in junior classes at a public or private high school or are homeschooled are eligible to be nominated to apply. These must be students who are entering into their senior year of high school. Students who plan to graduate from high school before attending AGS are not eligible to be nominated or apply to AGS.
Nominees should have demonstrated
creativity in academic or creative fields,
above average ability in the nominated discipline area,
a high degree of self-motivation required to satisfy the program’s demanding requirements,
the intellectual, social, and emotional maturity required to thrive in an environment that emphasizes theoretical and process-related learning.
Nominees must be willing to commit to the entire program. Students who would like to participate in other programs or activities that run concurrent to AGS should not be nominated.
All qualified students should be considered for nomination regardless of socioeconomic status, cultural, or language differences.