Who Qualifies?
Seventh-grade students who would be the first in their family to attend college from participating school divisions: Arlington County, Fairfax County (participating schools only), Falls Church City, Manassas City, Manassas Park City and Prince William County public schools.
In deciding whether the Early Identification Program will be appropriate for a student, consider the following questions:
- Can the student realistically participate in EIP activities three Saturdays during the school year and three weeks during the summer?
- Will the student participate actively in the weekly tutoring and other components of the program?
- Does the student want to participate in the program?
The Application Process
To apply to the EIP, students must first be recommended by their guidance counselors or teachers. Once nominated, students and their parents are invited to attend an information meeting where program specifics are explained and applications are distributed. Should students decide to participate, they are responsible for completing and submitting the application by the specified deadline. Guidance counselors are available to assist with the process.
How Are Participants Selected?
George Mason University selects participants based on the following:
- Recommendation of two adults, one of whom must be a guidance counselor or a teacher. The other can be a community member or a local minister.
- Assessment of the student's application
Additional considerations include: uneven academic record; strong academic record but facing special circumstances (e.g., family in crisis; in need of extra support, etc.), eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, single-parent family, non-or limited-English-speaking family. The selection process is competitive, and unfortunately the size of the program limits the number of students selected.