This is not your typical summer camp.

This summer six juniors will have the opportunity to participate in a program that allows them to learn in a new way.

During the summer juniors have the opportunity to participate in a five week academic endeavor unlike anything else. Applying for this program, Governor’s Scholar Program or GSP, is beneficial for high achieving students. When applying for GSP there are a few tips that will help you take your application to the next level.

Governor’s Scholar Program is designed to challenge Kentucky’s next generation of leaders during the summer before the student’s senior year of high school. In order to be accepted, one must compete against others across the state in a rigorous application process. Students must fill out various forms and write an essay in order to gain acceptance into the program. Those admitted to the program will get to experience five weeks on one of three Kentucky college campuses; Morehead, Murray or Northern Kentucky. The campuses also rotate every three years allowing students to experience life at different colleges. This helps students to growing not only as a student but as a person as well.

Six students from Bullitt East were accepted into GSP this year. Juniors Ainsley Gordon, Jacob Hall, Charisma Cornell, Lindsey Spencer and Grace Fluhr were all chosen to be 2018 governor’s scholars and Kayla Nutgrass has been selected as alternate.

There are many reasons to apply for GSP. Fluhr has been planning on applying since elementary school. “Ever since I was in fifth grade I had planned to apply in eleventh grade because a lot of people in my life had mentioned it. People I knew who had went said that it was something I would like. I enjoy learning and meeting new people and the benefits such as scholarships were a plus to the program,” said Fluhr.

Spencer applied because of the benefits and the new opportunities. “I applied partly because I knew it would give me a chance at a huge scholarship. I also heard from many previous governor scholars that it was the best five weeks of their life, so I wanted to apply to be able to experience a different kind of learning that I don’t get at school. I wanted to meet new people from around the school with the same interests as me and gain a lot of new skills and knowledge from people i’ve never met,” said Spencer.

For starters, participating in GSP gives you the opportunity to meet new people. As a governor’s scholar, students will spend five weeks in a residence hall at one of Kentucky’s colleges. Spending this time will allow one to grow their interpersonal skills and talk to people from all around the state. Also, participating in GSP allows one to learn about something that they are passionate about. While at GSP scholars, have the opportunity to study in one of numerous focus areas ranging from agribusiness/biotech to film studies to cultural anthropology and more. GSP provides a broad interdisciplinary approach to education. By utilizing a liberal arts style of teaching GSP allows scholars to become more well rounded individuals and critical thinkers.

GSP provides a lot of great opportunities for students. “It [GSP] also is a unique experience for me to be able to expand my knowledge past what I learn in school. I get the chance to learn with other students about things that I am actually passionate about, rather than what is part of the common core. It also allows me to interact with people outside of my community. This gives me the chance to understand new perspectives and opinions about things that I may not have had the chance to see otherwise,” said Cornell.

Scholarship opportunities are also a driving factor in GSP applicants. Many schools in Kentucky offer full-ride scholarships to students who participated in the program. The following colleges offer merit based scholarships to governor’s scholars: Asbury, Bellarmine, Berea, Campbellsville, Centre, Eastern Kentucky, Georgetown, Kentucky Christian, Kentucky State, Kentucky Wesleyan, Lindsey Wilson, Midway, Murray State, Morehead State, Northern Kentucky, Spalding, Thomas More, Transylvania, Union, University of the Cumberlands, Kentucky, Louisville, Pikeville and Western Kentucky. For 2015 the average scholarship amount for former governor’s scholars was $69,476.

To gain entrance into GSP one, must complete a rigorous application process. There are a few tips that can help set your application apart. Before you begin your application, you need to make sure that you take advantage of all the opportunities that you have in front of you. Be social, join clubs and take on leadership roles. The strongest applications are the ones that have a lot of experience. First, it’s important start your application early. The quicker, that you get started, the more time that you have to strengthen your application. It will be hard to have the best application possible if you procrastinate completing your application. Secondly is don’t be modest. It is okay to brag about yourself to make yourself look as good as possible. You also need to make sure that you spend time on your application, throwing it together haphazardly will not work. Don’t forget that editing is key. Make sure to read through your application in its entirety and check for any small grammar or spelling error. This is also important for your essay. Make sure to proofread it and have a few people look over it.

For more information on GSP visit gsp.ky.gov or talk to one of your counselors.