Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of the Governor's School of Engineering & Technology?
There is no cost to students or their families. The entire cost of the experience (nearly $3,000 for tuition, room, and board) is sponsored by donations from corporations, foundations, alumni, and individuals. At the start of the program, students present a $65 check as a key deposit, which is returned (uncashed) at the conclusion of the program when keys and swipe cards are returned.
What are the dates of the program this summer?
The program lasts approximately 4 weeks and starts close to the beginning of July. The program ends with a research symposium highlighting the students' work will be held on the afternoon last day. Parents, teachers, and friends are encouraged to attend in addition to the corporate sponsors, professors, and guests we invite. Please note that work on your research project will begin prior to the start of the residential program. You'll be expected to spend about 40 hours prior to beginning of the program reading scientific papers and writing up ideas relating to your project.
How many students will you accept this summer?
In a difficult fundraising climate, the size of our program is based on our fundraising successes. In the past three years, the size of the program has fluctuated between 62 and 90 scholars.
When do I receive my decision letter?
We will announce decisions via email in early April, please refer to the application for the exact date in April. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL/SPAM FOLDER.
Which email address should I check for decisions?
We will send decision emails to the email addresses for both students and parents listed on the application. If you prefer a different address, please let us know by emailing Jean Patrick Antoine, the Assistant Director: j.antoine@rutgers.edu.
Why does the Engineering and Technology Governor's School have so many essays?
Our admissions decisions are based heavily on your reasons for wanting to attend Governor's School, personality, and interests, as described in your essays. We really try to get to know you through your application. Since our Governor's School involves so much small-group collaboration, your personality, your ability to work with others, and your interest in engineering are more important than your standardized test scores (although we do expect those to be very high, as well). Also, keep in mind that studying engineering is a lot of work. If you can't be bothered to spend the time to write thoughtful essays for your application, how could we expect that you would be a valuable contributor to your teams during the program itself?
What sort of students attend Governor's School?
We try to craft a student body each summer that is diverse in myriad ways. Rather than being antisocial computer geeks, you'll find that our students are very interesting, outgoing, and multitalented... but also a little bit nerdy. Many of our students relish the fact that they're among peers who love math, science, and engineering, but also enjoy sports, music, art, and dancing. In previous summers, outside of the classroom, we have had plenty of pick-up soccer games, a talent show, student-organized dances, music jam sessions, and a visual arts show of students' work. The only thing we can't guarantee you during the program is a consistent good night's sleep-- there's so much going on, you won't have time for it!
Have I been selected as a (finalist, semifinalist)?
All students who received their high school's nomination and submitted completed applications by the postmark deadline are considered nominees. There is no such thing as a "semifinalist" and our April decision letters reflect the only round of screening. All applicants will be notified by email in April about their status.
Will I be able to attend religious services during Governor's School?
Yes. We arrange van trips on Sundays to local services, but can also make special arrangements (possibly with the assistance of the student's parents) for religious services.
Are there class prerequisites for Governor's School?
As long as you have taken honors math and science classes in high school, you'll be fine. Some of our elective classes may have further prerequisites, but everyone will be qualified for at least one class in each elective category.
How much time do we have for sports/recreational activities?
Not very much, but we do make sure that you have some free time. We give a significant amount of work, but it's almost entirely group work and generally very interesting and fun. The problems we give require a lot of thinking and very little rote memorization, and our instructors actually require that you work with other students to do it. We try to make our classes as hands-on and interactive as possible. We realize that this is summer, and that you certainly don't want to waste the great weather by sitting in the back of a dark lecture hall listening to someone drone on for hours. While we won't feel bad giving you a lot to do, we would feel bad if your projects, classes, and assignments were boring. By the same token, we do enjoy getting everyone out of the classroom to play soccer/frisbee/volleyball/etc, but this is a supplementary activity and won't be available every day.
The application asks us to choose "three engineering disciplines." What are engineering disciplines? Does this mean elective classes?
Engineering disciplines can broadly be defined as areas of engineering. Biomedical Engineering is a discipline. Computer Engineering is an engineering discipline. Aerospace Engineering is an engineering discipline. Nuclear Engineering is an engineering discipline, although one which we will unfortunately not cover at Governor's School. Simply choose the three you find most interesting or most want to learn about. To further explore the range of possibilities, try Googling "engineering disciplines" or investigating the Rutgers School of Engineering Departments. Seriously, don't lose any sleep over this choice.
For more information about the program and to answer any questions you have, call 848-445-4753 or email Jean Patrick Antoine at j.antoine@rutgers.edu.