Governor’s school is something many students may not have heard of unless they are in the arts (orchestra, band, or chorus) and although it offers programs in the arts, it also provides programs in academics such as medicine, agriculture, and math. This month-long program takes place during summer break and gives students the opportunity to learn more in-depth about their passion. However, many may not know how the audition process to attend governor’s school works.

Youna Wang (10), a violinist, auditioned for governor’s school and explained the process. Before even going to audition for the school, students’ first task was to acquire recommendations from three of their teachers (whether it be school teachers or private teachers). Afterward, they were required to audition through Oakton HS and get selected by three teachers (orchestra, band, and chorus) before continuing on to audition for governor’s school. After being selected to audition for governor’s school, Wang prepared her pieces to perfection over winter break as she practiced vigorously in anticipation for governor’s school auditions.

After arriving at the auditions, which took place on January 5 at George Mason University, students were guided to individual rooms when it was their time to audition. Each room had two judges who scored the student on certain aspects of their playing such as technique, musicality, and the student’s chosen scales. If the student receives a score above thirty from the judges, then the student will get accepted into governor’s school and be invited to attend for a month, beginning June 21 and lasting until July 21.

This may seem like a lot of work to put in in order to attend governor’s school for only a month, but Wang says that the primary reason students audition is because it looks good on college applications. For Wang, she is also auditioning in order to put the program on her college applications, but it is more important for her because “it will be a meaningful experience to learn about what I am passionate about.” It’s no wonder 950 people auditioned for the arts last year, and we wish the students who auditioned this year the best of luck as they wait for their results!