Governor's School of New Jersey in Engineering & Technology (GSET)

The Governor's School of New Jersey in Engineering & Technology (GSET) is a free, residential summer program at the Rutgers University School of Engineering for New Jersey high school juniors who love engineering. Students attend in the summer after junior year, and the program lasts about four weeks starting near the beginning of July. In 2026, the program opened with a week of required online sessions starting July 6, and students moved into the Rutgers dorms on July 11, 2026. Scholars take four courses, including core classes in robotics and physics plus two electives. In small groups of three or four, they complete a research and design project, write a conference-style paper, and present it at a final research symposium. The program also includes workshops and visits to local companies. It has no grades or credit, and there is no cost to families; students only give a $65 key deposit that is returned at the end. Fewer than 100 students are admitted.

Open to New Jersey residents in their junior year of high school who have a strong interest in engineering and top grades in honors math and science. Students must be nominated by their high school (one nominee per 325 juniors). The nominator submits a Nomination Form and Nominator Application with two recommendation letters and a transcript; the student submits a Student Application with two essays and three short responses, plus fall junior-year grades and test scores (PSAT preferred). Students must live on campus for the full program, including weekends. For 2026, applications were due January 8, 2026.