Hi all…here’s a collection of top competitors of Georgia Tech. These are the top colleges that students admitted to Georgia Tech between 2016 and 2021 ended up attending, if they didn’t accept their offer. These schools were released by the admissions office. I hope this is helpful for people putting together their college lists!
Comment below if there are any other schools that you think people applying to Georgia Tech would also love!
I’m surprised that Clemson and Auburn didn’t make the list as they’re the next-state-over’s colleges that focus on technical studies, and both have really been increasing in popularity the last several years. Also surprised that Purdue wasn’t mentioned, as I think that its engineering programs are similarly well-regarded.
Honestly I thought this was going to be a “if you like GT, also consider _______ for less competitive admission.”
I don’t understand why this would be helpful. For example, Cornell is nothing like GT.
I believe the data is based on what Georgia Tech published based on where accepted students landed if they didn’t enroll at GaTech
Is that right @CC_Joy?
https://twitter.com/gtadmission/status/1489675359729565696?s=21
I think this thread is our opportunity to make it a list of places with less competitive admissions…
Wonder how they can track that accurately - surveys - but how many send in? Given that the biggest majors (outside of business) are engineering focused, I’m surprised to see UGA so high.
I get it - with Hope, the best and brightest may go to one of those two schools but few top future engineers are even considering UGA.
I like your take in this as the list in the links is not super helpful while I understand the admissions chess game involved.
GT is in an urban area, hip campus, and hyper focused on STEM majors.
I think you could have a similar experience at slightly less or similarly reachy options:
UMiami, well-funded, STEM focused colleges/schools within a more traditional offering of majors. Urban-ish setting and cool campus.
Northeastern - in the city
RIT - suburban, but Tech focus, cool buildings
URochester - in the city
NC State (on the original list)
UWashington in Seattle
Lots more
I think you have some interesting choices, but RIT? That’s an odd one. As a mediocre -at-best institution in a freezing, depressed city with an almost 75% acceptance rate, it’s about as far from Georgia Tech as you could get. GT is one of the premier STEM schools in the world, situated in a vibrant boom town. RIT doesn’t belong on any list with GT, nor does it belong with the others on that list either. Being creative is one thing, but getting too broad just defeats the intent of the post,
Looking at the original Twitter graphic (thanks @DadOfJerseyGirl), I think it’s a bit fascinating and amusing that GT would publish this data, especially with the moving graphic.
. I mean, they’re kind of advertising their rivals while at the same time gloating that these are their rivals, if that makes sense. After all, what fourth ranked engineering school wouldn’t want to be in the company of second ranked UCB each and every year? It may not be necessarily helpful as others have pointed out, but I thought it novel. 
I don’t know about Auburn, but Clemson’s campus and location are a totally different feel from GA Tech. Tech is in the middle of downtown Atlanta. There is not much in Clemson. When my math major kid toured Clemson, the tour guide pointed out the math building and made a comment that he knew none of them were interested in spending any time there. Needless to say, she said she was ready to go before the tour was finished.
We can agree to disagree on RIT. I am ok with that. I hesitated to include them, but these kids need some actual safeties on their lists and RIT’s hands-on approach to engineering is great for many students. Rochester has a lot going on, but the campus is not right downtown. They also have some excellent partnerships with corporations and they have amazing equipment and professional workspaces. It is an impressive operation.
I wouldn’t let a bad tour guide detract from a university (although based on the Colleges your child cross off after visiting thread, a lot of students do). But for students who want a school geared towards more technical fields, but with a lot of school spirit and football teams, and more of the “steoreotypical” college experience, I think there are similarities with Clemson and Auburn. Additionally, if people are looking for warmer weather, those two schools have it. No school is going to be exactly like Georgia Tech, but there are different qualities that people appreciate about a unviersity. If the urban aspect is an important factor for students, then neither Clemson nor Auburn would be recommended.
Pitt, UMN are in city. Both are solid, UMN a lot harder to get in. I could see someone going to either if turned down at Ga Tech.
James Madison. What?? James Madison. Well one sits against the freeway (well the dorms)…the other has a freeway run through the middle of the school 
yes, that’s right! it what they released at top competitors, i.e. school people go to if they don’t accept an offer from Georgia Tech. It would be good to add some less competitive options as well…
Do applications still ask for where else a student is applying? I remember they used to ask that when I was applying to college… It would be interesting to add those schools to this list as well, as it would probably capture some of the less-competitive schools. I wonder if they release that info…I’ll try to dig around for it, but let me know if anyone sees it!
I’d add RPI as a match school.
agreed! I appreciated seeing it. I wish more schools would release top competitors and top schools enrolled students applied to…
Oh, this was just kids not accepting offers to Ga Tech??
I imagine that’s on the slight side - hence the few # of schools that commonly were on each year’s list.
I thought it was school’s like Ga Tech - my bad.
I think you would be surprised how many in state engineers choose UGA over Tech, having gotten in both. Free tuition makes the ROI hard to beat and GT is not a good fit for some (smaller school, big city, nerd vibe).
I have seen it happen several times over the past 3 years with people we know and my GT son has worked with UGA engineers as interns in both of his internships.
But correct me if I’m wrong, they just got ABET accreditation in 2018 - one of the reasons my son dismissed UGA. That was the reason for my surprise.