This is the first year Ga Tech has not required the common app essay. There is very little merit to first year students at Georgia Tech. There are a few who are granted in state tuition, and even fewer who are offered the Stamps full ride scholarship.
We’re OOS, but I have a sibling that lives in Georgia and a niece at GT. GT has a lot of positives for OOS applicants.
- Common app. It’s so easy to apply.
- Because it’s a public you can apply to GT and a super selective school.
- Value. GT is a lot less than Cal or UofM.
- Decent merit scholarships. It’s rare to see 100 merit scholarships for OOS applicants at a school like GT.
- It’s a great high academic safety/match. GT lets you know early and an acceptance guarantees you a great option.
1 Like
Ahhh, I bet the elimination of the common app essay is one part of it. Although you’d think most students have one completed, but maybe not yet by the EA date. It is probably much easier for someone who hasn’t yet completed their common app essay or refined it, to just do the two essays relatively quickly, especially since the why us one is the same as every other school and the other one is similar to other schools too. Then save the common app for later. But who knows?
I didn’t mean merit scholarship, but financial aid. Some schools for US applicants are need blind which means they don’t know if you are applying for financial aid when you apply, so every applicant is treated equally. However, for internationals they are not need blind, so they know which internationals are applying for financial aid and it’s much harder to get aid if you’re an international as they really want the full paying internationals. So for instance, a school like Amherst is need blind for ALL students and their applications are way up this year. That could be one reason since many internationals need financial aid. I wonder if GA Tech is need blind for ALL or just US. If it is need blind for all, they too may have an increase in foreign students as this is a year many that are not need blind it will be much harder for them to afford.
1 Like
Just googled and GT is need blind for in state applications only. It is not need blind for international or OOS students. Also, GT only meets 65% of demonstrated need on average. I think applications are reputation driven particularly with the restrictive application requirements of HYPS et al. All of its engineering programs are top 5 rankings and it is the number one school for civil engineering, ISE and cybersecurity in the country.
1 Like
Thanks. Agree, it’s the popularity of the programs putting them on the map, also EA vs ED makes it more desirable as no one is locked in and a viable option. Also perhaps people not having the ability to visit factored into their applying now and then to take a wait and see approach. I know for CS which is what my son is applying for, it is tied nationally with UIUC, Cornell, and U-Washington. All different environments, types of campus, but such phenomenal programs that no one will have a problem getting a great education or job coming out of any of those schools.
Really interested to see what happens today. I was deferred at UGA. And with Rick Clark’s blog post this week about deferrals, I’m bracing myself for the same result at GT.
IS female, 4.0 UW GPA, 34 ACT, International Affairs major.
Did anyone else indicate interest in the first semester study abroad in France? I wonder if we would we get word on that today as well.
1 Like
I understand you are saying this from the perspective of an on campus DE student. I cannot imagine that would be a great experience. That is totally different from living in a dorm on campus and being able to take advantage of the social activities that GT has to offer. My oldest is a sophomore. He lived on East Campus his freshman year. He has never stepped foot on a bus. He walked everywhere (to class, dining, fraternity house). GT is a very walkable campus and you can walk across the whole thing in 15 minutes or so. No reason to take a bus if you do not want to.
Parking is a non issue for most people because they don’t bring a car. For those who do you are assigned a parking deck that you select and pay a semester fee.
Humanities classes were not an important factor for my son. He refused to apply to Georgetown which we toured because it was too “liberal artsy”. He also placed out of almost all of his humanities classes (no way to place out of English 1102). He knew he wanted to be a civil engineer (went to engineering camps at two colleges, one of which he applied to and got in (Michigan)) so was certain about what he wanted to do. If you do not have that clarity, might not be the right place because GT has like 30 majors.
I think you would be surprised about running into people you go to high school with. My guess is you won’t unless you make a point to. My son went to a small school with 5 people who ended up at Tech. One he never sees, one he ran into twice because they both lived on East Campus and the other two he sees occasionally because they are friends and like to keep up with each other. All three are in different fraternities. GT has almost 20k undergrads. If you are in a smaller school, more likely to feel like you know everyone already. They won’t be in all your classes if you go to GT. The reason they are is because you are dual enrolled and they are too.
Certainly GT is not for everyone. It checked all the boxes for my son: urban area (didn’t want a small college town), excellent programs (he is a civil engineer which is #1 in the country), feels like a “real” college with Division 1 sports, fraternities, etc., larger size (the smaller schools he looked at felt too small, was afraid he would feel like he had met everyone by the end of the first year).
Sounds like GT is not a good fit for you. Hope you are successful in your college applications!
Good luck! My son did not check either summer start (Ignite) or Study Abroad first semester. My guess is both of those options would increase your chances of getting in (it is traditionally thought that choosing Ignite increases your chances of admittance). My son is in UGA and hoping for the same result at Tech but he is fully prepared for a deferral!
@facepalmwarrior I’m pretty sure my D indicated interest in the study abroad in France. She has taken French since 4th grade and is currently in a post-AP French lit class… definitely a Francophile. Good luck today!
What does it say if you’re admitted? Mine says “entering freshman”
mine says Regular freshman I think
I think they closed the loophole, if you open it again does it still say admitted?
are you sure??
No idea. I am on passport and it is telling me that GT requires all students to designate 2 emergency contacts and to fill out emergency contacts. Never seen that before.
I also got that.
positive because this is how we confirmed who got admitted summer during dual enrollment admissions
Oh my LFG. But the thing is they opened a summer '21 status for me aswell. And both Fall & Summer '21 status show “Regular Freshman”
Does anyone have anything else other than Regular Freshman? What is supposed to say if one gets denied or deferred?
Wait yeah i just realized we haven’t had a single negative case yet.
1 Like
Maybe admitted for summer? Where do you see that?