<p>After reading about GTREP, I decided that it was an excellent program to pursue if one wants a Georgia Tech degree while having a higher GPA (b/c the first two years are completed at a partner university and the last two can be accomplished at the same university).</p>
<p>Pros:</p>
<p>Higher GPA (most likely)
First two years will perhaps be composed of easier classes
Not required to step on GT's campus at all and can end up with a GT degree!!</p>
<p>Con(s)</p>
<p>It seems as if people who graduate from the GTREP program are seen as subordinate to those who went to Tech for 4 years (as opposed to the 2years that GTREP students complete at another university)</p>
<p>And now to the reason for the post:</p>
<p>If you have entered into this program and have any personal experiences (or if you know anyone else who has), please share so I can continue my pro con list.</p>
<p>Where are you getting this information? It’s not like you’re walking around GT with a sign on top of your head that says “Didn’t get in from high school!” Honestly, students at GT are too busy to care about how you got there. I’m not trying to be rude, but this thought never crossed my head and I was a transfer student. People outside of GT could careless, even if you told them you didn’t go directly out of high school. Infact, you’ll probably find that a lot of people are in awe when you tell them where you go to school. Most people in GA want their kids to have a GT degree (in my experience) regardless if they go the traditional route or not.</p>
<p>Also, when you transfer your GPA resets. I’m assuming this is the case for a GTREP student since they aren’t <em>officially</em> taking GT classes. If this is the case then “higher gpa” is not a pro at all.</p>
<p>Yes, in fact your GPA is usually lower as a transfer student compared to a 4 year student. While you avoid the “GPA killers” of Calculus I/II/III, CS, Physics I/II, etc. you have a condensed major schedule. Instead of taking 3 or so major classes/semester in the last two years, you take 4 or 5. Since major classes require more work than non-major classes, it overloads people. Also, you usually transfer in the “easy A” credits (electives).</p>
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<p>A GT degree is a GT degree, regardless of whether you transferred in from MIT, went to Tech for 4 years, or transferred in from a community college. </p>
<p>That said, I can see two issues where transferring could hurt: (1) transfer students usually don’t have access to good internships in their 1st and 2nd summer, so they could be behind in that regard (this can be avoided by actively searching for internships each summer), (2) transfer students tend to have lower GPA’s (see above). That being said, if you’re aware of these issues and work to mitigate them, GTREP is an excellent option.</p>
<p>Also, through GTREP, one can complete all 4 years on a different campus (such as GA Southern and Armstrong)… Could this perhaps mean that a student would take easier classes (I would think the work load would be less) so higher GPA?</p>
<p>I think this is person specific. You don’t have to overload yourself when you get to GT unless you’re on a solid 4 yr schedule overall. Take what’s comfortable. Generally a transfer student (which this person technically wouldn’t be) comes into tech with only a handful of classes…probably Calc, Physics, and English sequence. The real GPA killer is adjusting to the new workload necessary to survive.</p>
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<p>I work with a guy who graduated from the university of Maryland which he attended all 4 yrs. I know another guy who has a degree from the university of Maryland, yet he never set foot on campus (program similar to what you’re looking at). He went to Frostburg state which is a party school in the middle of nowhere. Both guys have the exact same degrees, Mechanical Engineering, yet the one that attended Maryland was WAY more closely exposed to the type of education I received at GT. I think because of this he’s more well rounded because he’s been pushed to the limits. Yes, you’ll probably have a higher gpa if don’t attend GT but you’ll be much better prepared for whatever work throws at you in the long run.</p>
<p>I know this is a late thread reply, but whatever.</p>
<p>One thing to note is that if you do the GTREP program, once you arrive at Tech your GPA is zeroed (aka you start off at a 0.00 GPA). Your previous GPA counts toward HOPE scholarship, but for internships/coops that you apply for while at Tech you must use your new GPA. So, while you will have a good GPA for your scholarships, your Tech GPA might be low.</p>
<p>So a good thing to think about is wether or not you can do upper level classes at a harder school once you arrive.</p>