An applicant must be a current junior in any secondary school at the time of the application deadline. Home schoolers are eligible. An applicant must have at least one custodial parent or legal court appointed guardian whose primary residence of record is in Pennsylvania.
Military dependents stationed in Pennsylvania are eligible.
A student may not have previously attended any of the seven Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence. A student may apply to no more than two Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence in a year. A student who accepts an invitation to attend the Governor's School for Health Care must commit to the full residential, five week long, seven days a week program. There are no exceptions to these rules. The application itself also states grounds for application disqualification, and applicant responsibilities and procedures .