The Program for the Exceptionally Gifted

Mary Baldwin is the only university in the country with a full-time residential program for gifted females as young as rising ninth-graders. Begun in 1985, the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted draws students from all over the country to Mary Baldwin’s landmark campus on a hill overlooking historic Staunton, the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1842, Mary Baldwin, a private, independent master’s level university, stresses learning and leadership, features small classes and caring instructors and mentors, and is ranked among the best in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Its residential undergraduate student body of about 900 is exclusively women. 

The PEG Center in the heart of campus is a state-of-the-art home for the nationally acclaimed program, containing residences for students and staff, gathering areas, and a host of amenities. PEG students win prestigious scholarships, earn degrees with highest honors, and go on to prominent graduate schools and challenging careers. Thanks to feedback from students and parents and the ongoing scrutiny of scholars, PEG is continually refined and enriched. Recent books on education for the gifted have cited PEG as exemplary. Along with classes to help them make the transition to college work, PEG students take the same courses and pursue the same majors (more than 30) and degrees (bachelor of arts or science) as other students. They captain sports teams, take part in all activities, and are elected leaders of student government. PEG students are a source of pride for everyone at Mary Baldwin, including professors, though to a casual observer they are usually indistinguishable from other students.