**Nomination/Accesss Portal Links Located at the Bottom of this Page.**
STUDENTS
What to expect about the Student Application process,
1) Check Eligibility
Students
- 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. Students who plan to graduate from high school before attending Arkansas Governor's School (AGS) are NOT eligible to be nominated or apply.
- Applicants MUST be willing to commit to the entire AGS program (see session dates). Students who wish to attend other activities that run concurrent to AGS should not apply.
- Students should have demonstrated
- creativitiy in academic or creative field,
- 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.
2) Get Nominated
Eligible students must be nominated by their school to attend Arkansas Governor's School (AGS). Students should contact their school counselor or G T coordinator. Homeschooled students may be nominated by their parents. Please check ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS prior to requesting nomination/application. Nominated/eligible students will receive an email from AGS containing pertinent application information. CLICK HERE for School Nomination Instructions.
IMPORTANT: Students are expected to attend the ENTIRE program (see session dates). Students who participate in other programs or activities that run concurrent to AGS should NOT apply.
DATES: Nominations for the 2026 session open October 20, 2025 and close February 8, 2026.
3) Apply
Nominated students will receive an application invitation from AGS. Once this invitation is received students have until February 10th to submit their application. Supporting documentation such as the School Evaluation Form, Test Score Form, Transcript, and Teacher Recommendation(s) are submitted by the school no later than February 10th. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all documents have been received by AGS.
Quality applications take time. Please begin your application early and commit adequate time to complete it.
DATES: Applicaitons open October 20, 2025 and are due by February 16, 2026.
4) Collect Documentation
The application process requires the student follow several steps. Each student should be prepared to present:
- General biographical information
- First and second choice (if applicable) of content area (Choral Music, Arkansas: Economy, Natrual Resources, People, Drama, English/Language Arts, Instrumental Music, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, and Visual Arts). Students can submit an application in one or two content areas. Applying in a second area can increase the odds of getting accepted, but students will only attend AGS in one content area. Students should be prepared to attend in either content area. You must attend in the area in which you are accepted You cannot switch to a different content area.
- Siginificant achievements, award, or accomplishments in the past two years.
- School and/or community projects in which the students has participated demonstrating commitment to tasks.
- Student Essay
- Content Area Essay
- Name and address of a teacher in each content area for which you are applying. The teacher(s) will be sent an email requesting them to complete an online recommendation. If you are applying in two content areas, you should identify two different teachers for your recommendations. In addition, you should not list the counselor or GT teacher who nominated you. It needs to be a teacher within (or related to) the content area for which you are applying. Students applying in Development Engineering can have a science or mathematics teacher complete the nomination.
- Audition video for students applying in Choral Music, Drama, Instrumental Music, or Visual Arts. Instructions for preparing the audition video can be found HERE.
5) Submit
Students have the opportunity to review their application before hitting submit. Please take the time to ensure all of your information is accurate and complete. Once the student is satisified, they must click on "Submit" to complete the application process. Must be submitted before the application deadline of February 16, 2026.
6) Follow-Up
Students should follow-up with their teacher to make sure the recommendation request email was received and the recommendation was submitted. Remember, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to ensure all application materials are received for the selection committee to review.
Important Dates
- October 20, 2025 - Nomination/Application open.
- February 16, 2026 - Student application material due.
- February 20, 2026 - Teacher Recommendation, School Evaluation Form, Test Score Form, and Transcript due.
- March 30, 2026 (or sooner) - Selection results sent to school and applicants. Please check your inbox, spam and junk mail folders throughly for official email. MAKE SURE to complete and the acceptance form if you plan to attend. You have not officially acceptance unless you return this form.
- May 1, 2026 - Attendance confirmation deadline.
SCHOOLS/TEACHER NOMINATORS
What to expect about the Nomination process
Students Eligibility Criteria
- Only students who are residents of Arkansas and who are presnelty in junior classes at a public or private high school or homeschooled are eligible to be nominated to apply. Students who plan to graduate from high school before attending Arkansas Governor's School (AGS) are not eligible to attend or apply to AGS.
- Public or private high school students must be nominated by a school counselor or GT coordinator.
- Homeschooled students may be nominated by their parent. Parent should follow the same instructions as listed for school personnel.
- All qualified students hould be considered for nomination regardless of socioeconomic status, cultural, or language differences.
Nominate a Student
School counselors, GT coordinators or other school officials can nominate a student. The parent of a homeschooled student may also nominate thier child. CLICK HERE for detailed instructions about nominations. The nominaiton deadline is February 8, 2026.Transcripts
Schools will upload a transcript for each student nominated. Transcripts should include fifth semester grades and sixth semester courses. Links to upload transcripts can be found in the nominator's application portal account. Start by creating a Nominator Account HERE. Once created you can return to the portal HERE. The deadline for transcripts is February 14th, 2025. All supporting materials are due by February 20, 2026.
School Recommendation Forms
Click HERE to find the School Evaluation Form and HERE to find the Test Score Form. Links to upload the completed forms can be found in the nominator's application portal account. Click HERE for the application portal. School recommendation forms should be submitted no later than February 20th, 2026.
Teacher Recommendations
Teachers chosen for recommendation will receive an email with a link for submission of the recommendation. This email is generated once the student has submitted their AGS application. Teacher recommendations should be submitted no later than February 20th, 2026.
Follow-Up
Nominators can check the status of the teacher recommendation from the student "Details" page on their nominator account. CLICK HERE to see the School Nomination Instructions. Additionally, schools can monitor the progress of student applications in the nominator's application portal account.
Important Dates
- October 20, 2025 - Nomination/Applications open.
- February 16, 2026 - Student application must be submitted no later than today.
- February 20, 2026 - Teacher Recommendation, School Evaluation Form, Test Score Form, and Transcripts due.
- No later than March 30, 2026 - Selection results sent to schools and applicants.
- May 1, 2026 - Attendance confirmation due.
Publicity
FAQS
account portals
STOP! NOT FOR STUDENT USE
CREATE A NEW NOMINATOR ACCOUNT
This link is for school personnel to begin the nomination process.
Students must contact their school to get nominated.
EXISTING USER LOGIN
LOGIN TO AGS APPLICATION PORTAL
This link is for students or school personnel who have already set up an account.
contact us
Arkansas Governor's School AGS Office Manager Arkansas Tech University 1711 Coliseum Drive Russellville, AR 72801 Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Ms. Lisa Clark Phone: (479) 356-2037 Email: ags@atu.edu