Georgia Tech chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgia Institute of Technology
1

Georgia Tech is one of my dream schools, but my stats are not great, so I probably won’t get in, but I would like to know my chances anyway (I applied early action, if that is necessary to know):

Intended Major: Aerospace Engineering

ACADEMICS:

3.4 GPA (UW, my school doesn’t do weighted or ranking)

1500 SAT (800 Math, 700 Reading/Writing)

AP courses taken so far: AP Physics 1, AP Calculus BC (5 on both exams)

AP courses I’m currently taking/will take as a senior: AP Physics C (Mech and E&M), AP Statistics, AP French, AP Macroeconomics

Honors courses I have taken: Pre-calculus honors, Chemistry Honors, French 4 Honors

EXTRACURRICULARS:

Note: I’ve spent the majority of my life in music, and have reached high proficiency.

10+ years of learning Carnatic (South Indian classical) violin - have won several 1st prizes international and regional competitions

10+ years of learning Carnatic singing - have won several 1st prizes in state and regional level competitions

10 years of learning Carnatic percussion - have won several 1st prizes in state and regional competitions, received a traditional arts State level scholarship

10 years of learning western classical violin - not too many accomplishments here, but mainly because I chose to focus in Indian music

Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Candidate (haven’t gone competitive yet)

What are my chances? If you need more info I can let you know in the thread.

2

GT has a 38% admit rate for instate students, and a 18% for out of state.

1500 SAT is slightly above average, but 3.4 is below average.

If you are instate, you have a good chance. Out of state, not likely unless your essays are great.

3

Yea I’m from out of state. Do you think I would have had higher chances applying as a Music Technology major and then switching into Aerospace (I’m very confident GTech admits by major even though they say they don’t)?

4

GT is wise to the whole apply under a less-popular major just to get in then transfer process. Freshman are not allowed to change majors at all (it even states this in the application portal). They make it very challenging for sophomores to change also according to friends there. Definitely apply to the major you most want.

5

Totally agree with @momof21. If it was that simple to get into the hottest GT major programs (engineering disciplines and CS), most everyone would be doing it (applying for a different major with the intent to transfer out at the first opportunity). GT Admissions is definitely wise to this. If someone is applying as a Music Technology major, they should be able to demonstrate long-term commitment to that field. Likewise, when it comes time to switch majors, if one is so inclined, they should be able to demonstrate some commitment to and aptitude in that course of study.

6

Hmm yea that does make sense, but from what I’ve read online, it seems like it’s very easy to switch majors in GTech, even to engineering (see https://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/dataverse/direct-admit-engineering).

So is the easy to switch to engineering a false claim?

7

It is very easy to change majors during the fall of your freshman year. The only potential downside of applying to a major you are not interested in is that your application will make it clear that you do not have a proven strong interest in that area and you will therefore not be admitted. For example if you apply as a business type major and your app shows no business strengths u wont get in.

8

be careful, as everything from GT and from students there suggest it is not easy

9

If there is one undisputed constant about Georgia Tech’s academic structure, it is the extreme difficulty of same. The school is known for the very stressful and challenging academic environment in its CS and engineering disciplines. These are the “golden children” of the school, the ones that enjoy top 5 rankings in the US — in some cases, they hold the #1 ranking. School officials won’t endanger the supremacy of these programs by blindly approving transfer applications from people who haven’t demonstrated the requisite aptitude and commitment. Sure, plenty of students do change majors, this is true, but they have met the qualifications. Don’t forget that numerous students also transfer out of the harder programs into somewhat less challenging ones, because the former have proven too difficult and their GPAs have crashed. These students also factor into the pool of successful cross-major transfers.

10

If a GT student has less than 60 credit hours they are allowed one unrestricted major change. Here is the details for CS: https://www.cc.gatech.edu/academics/college-advising/application-change-of-major-form

11

Thanks for the info. In actual practice, other factors do come into play. Not to mention that someone who may not have qualified for original acceptance as a CS or engineering major may not be able to manage the coursework (as noted above, there is no shortage of students transferring out of the harder majors just to survive and maintain a viable GPA). Moreover, a student who does manage to transfer into a different major might require courses in addition to the ones they are already taking for the original major, which means that completing a degree program in 4 years is unlikely or very difficult. It’s hardly as easy as it might appear on its face.

12

Music Technology requires a portfolio to be submitted with your application:

https://music.gatech.edu/bachelor-science-music-technology

13

I actually do have a fair amount of experience in music production, and I’m pretty fluent with the Logic Pro X interface and mixing in general - I did quite a few projects over this summer actually. Although music is a passion of mine, I would still like to do aerospace. I can definitely show my aptitude in music technology though. I assume that would have made it easier for me to get into music technology, right?

14

Yeah, I would assume GT is looking for a strong background in music tech for that program. I don’t know if admission is easier compared to other majors.

15

As an OOS male, your chances are very slim to be honest. You are well below the 25th percentile for grades. Your scores are good. Disparity between grades and scores is viewed by some admission officers as a negative - not living up to your potential. Of course this could be offset somewhat by a very rigorous course load or other life circumstances but my son had an in state friend with slightly higher grades and a 36 ACT who was rejected. Ga Tech is highly competitive - as competitive out of state as some Ivy League schools. Cast your net broadly - there are lots of great schools out there - and focus on those where your grades fall into the middle 50th percentile (preferably closer to 75th for your best chance). That is where you will have your best luck.

16

I wouldn’t say it is impossible. But based your stats and EC, it is really a far reach. Unless you have a hook, don’t count on GT admission.