Hey everyone. My friend recently gave me some admissions advice that really gave me a different perspective on college admissions. He is currently a student at GA tech studying to become an astronaut. This was the email he sent me:
I know how stressful the application process can be, especially when there’s a school that you really want to get into. As much as I would love to tell you that there’s a magic recipe for getting into Tech, there isn’t one. Lots of different people get into Tech every year, and the applications are most definitely not the same for everyone. SAT/ACT/subject test scores and a killer personal essay are not everything, not by a long shot. So if you’re worried your scores or GPA may not be high enough, don’t worry! Academic performance is only PART of what Tech looks at when they’re admitting students. When they look at your application, they look for who you are as a person, and that kinda stuff doesn’t just show through your grades, but through your personal essay, extracurricular involvements, and such. They don’t just want a smart person (there are so many of those), they want someone who is going to take advantage of every opportunity they may be given while they are at Tech.
That said, keep an open mind. I don’t know you too well, but if Georgia Tech is the right fit for you, you’ll get in! And if not, there’s another university or college out there with your name on it where you’ll do better than you ever imagined. Your college does not determine the kind of future you can set up for yourself. Trust me, I know this from experience (I wasn’t accepted to attend GSMST for high school).
If you do send me your scores and essay, I unfortunately won’t be able to tell you if it’s “good enough” because as I mentioned earlier, every person is different. What I CAN tell you is to be as honest and true to yourself as you can be on your application (especially your personal essay). Admissions can easily tell when someone is being fake or just telling them what they want to hear. You want to show every college/university you apply to who YOU are and why YOU are different than any other student with a high GPA and a good SAT score.