<p>yeah, I'm getting pretty nervous and checking my email constantly. Do you guys think you'll still go to Georgia Tech even if you don't get the scholarship?</p>
<p>What are the odds of making finalist?</p>
<p>"yeah, I'm getting pretty nervous and checking my email constantly. Do you guys think you'll still go to Georgia Tech even if you don't get the scholarship?"</p>
<p>If you're interested in Engineering, GT is one of the Top 5 schools in the country and #1 in several fields. If you're interested in industry, it has the best Co-Op/intern program in the country that consistently lands people top jobs in major firms. If you're interested in grad school, Tech engineering grads are at the top of the list for the big law, medical, and business programs. Several of my friends graduated and went to Stanford law, Harvard Business, Harvard law, MIT engineering, etc. </p>
<p>I wouldn't discount Tech, even without a scholarship. </p>
<p>If you're worried about the PS because of money, Tech has all sorts of other scholarships that offer partial or full rides. Plus, if you perform well in your classes, they'll give you merit scholarships without having to ask. If you're worried about PS for prestige, it's not that big of a deal. There are a few "well known" clubs on campus that you can join and probably get a letter of recommendation from the President (student government, Executive Round Table, ANAK, etc).</p>
<p>All-in-all, Tech is a very affordable university that gives you a top education. People on other boards are fighting to get into the Ivys. That's nice, but I was able to do the following for almost free: go to Tech on scholarship for next to nothing, perform well in one of the higher ranked engineering fields (ECE, ISyE, ME, ChE, AE), then get accepted to Ivy grad school (where education is free in the technical fields). </p>
<p>I could have done the exact same at MIT undergrad for $200,000 more. Not that I'm knocking MIT undergrad - but once you have graduate degrees in a field, no one cares where you did your undergrad, so why spend so much more for essentially the same education (and at the undergrad level, it is the same education)?</p>
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What are the odds of making finalist?
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<p>Judging from the past, 15% or so of semifinalists go on to get the scholarship.</p>
<p>Last year they said they offered finalist to about 120 people, knowing that some would refuse. Approx. 75-80 accepted, I believe.</p>
<p>zebes</p>
<p>Had my interview this past weekend. Some questions from a sheet that were typical questions and then a lot of follow-up with any questions you have. Interviews were typically short (mine ran ~40 minutes, a friend of mine ran about the same). They don't seem make or break unless you shut down or reveal that you have super powers. In one sentence: Don't worry, just be yourself (yes I notice how cliche that was)</p>
<p>Using this number divided by the number of semifinalists it comes to be around 18% just FYI</p>
<p>zebes- what does your daughter think about the downtown location -(safety), boy/girl ratio, what field is she interested in? my d not sure about those issues. any guys want to weigh in on social issues?</p>
<p>"They don't seem make or break unless you shut down or reveal that you have super powers. In one sentence: Don't worry, just be yourself (yes I notice how cliche that was)" </p>
<p>When I did PS interviews, they did make or break you. The interviewer really controls who moves forward, and it's based on two main criteria: 1) did you demonstrate a genuine interest in Tech (vs. just applying for the sake of applying) and 2) are you qualified. If you just answered the questions straight-up and didn't spend much time expanding on answers or really showing some excitement about the interview, it probably didn't go that well.</p>
<p>"zebes- what does your daughter think about the downtown location -(safety), boy/girl ratio, what field is she interested in? my d not sure about those issues. any guys want to weigh in on social issues?"</p>
<p>Campus safety fluctuates. On-campus is very safe. Nearly all crime is petty theft (bikes, etc.) and the crime rate is actually pretty low compared to most schools. There are very few violent crimes and I've walked campus at 2am with no concerns at all. Also, the campus police are very good (and are actual police, not security officers like at most campuses) and keep the people off campus that shouldn't be on campus. I'm on the list that gets an email anytime there's a crime on or near campus, and I only get a few emails a year (and most of the time that's an off campus incident that Tech cops responded to). </p>
<p>The issue with safety comes from off-campus. Tech is in a major city, so when you start walking down North Avenue, you're going to run into some areas that you probably shouldn't visit at night. I wouldn't walk around south of North Ave apartments at night (that's government assisted living) or west of campus. The off campus area is a lot safer than 10 years ago, when Tech was commonly referred to as "the Tech Ghetto" by the UGA fans. North of campus is now really nice with Atlantic Station and Turner Broadcasting, and West of Campus is nice with Tech Square and the new Spring St/West Peachtree construction. But South and West are still problematic. Luckily, there's not much of a reason to go towards those areas at night. </p>
<p>Tech also provides a 24 hour shuttle service for students. If you call the Stingerette, a van will pick you up and take you anywhere near campus (they'll even go 5 miles or so off campus, especially on weekends when they want to discourage drunk driving). Also, if you are disabled (like if you break your leg), the Stingerette will take you between classes. </p>
<p>I've never actually known anyone who's been robbed or attacked. </p>
<p>Social issues aren't really a problem because of location. One of the nice things about living in a city (vs in a college town) is that you can find anything, and I mean anything, within a 10 minute drive of campus. Got pink hair, a tongue ring, and a tattoo sleeve? Head to little 5-points. Want to study intensive feminism? Head to Decatur. Looking for an "Armenian Club"? No problem, head to little-Armenia. Want to party and get trashed at a pub? Virginia Highlands. At a club? Buckhead. Want to spend the whole day golfing? Head to Northside. You get the idea - there's something for everyone, from religion to sports to hobbies to nationality.</p>
<p>On campus, things are a little more limited. Tech has a good size international population, there are are always international events, like movie screenings and whatnot. There are also many community service organizations and a campus-wide Team Buzz day where the majority of the student and alumni populations perform community service. There's a good amount of school-sponsored activities, like Six Flags day, where the college rents out Six Flags for a nice, school sponsored comedians (usually some big name comedians), and classical music. There's a club on West Campus called Under the Couch that has local bands play most nights of the week. And, of course, there's always internet gaming groups that take over the library.</p>
<p>One thing Tech is not is a party school. You won't see bikini-clad girls walking around or drunk guys with beer-hats on, like at some campuses. On weekends, the fraternities will throw a party or two, but they're nothing to write home about. If you want to really party, most students go to Athens (if they're underage) or Buckhead/Virginia Highlands if they have an ID. Honestly, if Tech was in the middle of nowhere, it would be the most boring place in the world. The school's saving grace is that it's in Atlanta. I always like that, though. During the week I could stay on campus and concentrate (even living in a fraternity house). On the weekends I could have a good time.</p>
<p>There's a decent number of fraternities on campus, so no limits there, but there are very few sororities. IIRC it was 41 fraternities, 6 sororities not too long ago. The fraternities have a wide range of groups, from the "Nintendo Party Night! Huzzah!" Psi Ups to the "Southern Gentlemen" KA, to the Preppy Beta's, and a few Animal Houses. Basically, everyone is pretty much covered. The Sororities, on the other hand, are all pretty similar (though I'm sure they would disagree).</p>
<p>Athletics are actually really good on campus. There's a wide range from Div I-A sports, which we all know, but there are also club sports (soccer, hockey, lacrosse, etc.), which are competitive and travel but not too all-encompassing, and there are intramurals in everything from ultimate frisbee to softball to badminton. Some intramurals are all one sex, some are co-ed (you have to have a minimum number of girls on the field at one time). And in intramurals there are multiple leagues, from A (really serious - practice like they're on the actual football team) to C (just people having fun and half the time not keeping score). </p>
<p>In terms of non-academic education, Tech offers non-credit courses after school hours in foreign languages, martial arts, fitness, and dancing. </p>
<p>I was very satisfied with my time at Tech, especially after graduating and attending other "major" schools.</p>
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On-campus is very safe. Nearly all crime is petty theft (bikes, etc.) and the crime rate is actually pretty low compared to most schools.
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<p>Yes, this point bears repeating. GT has an extremely low crime rate for being in the middle of the city. Check out College</a> Navigator - Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus and compare the crime statistics to any other prominent school.</p>
<p>Interesting statistics - that's actually what I thought just from gut feel.</p>
<p>96 crimes on campus, 90 were petty theft and 6 were more serious (rape, drugs, alcohol, etc). And I bet most of the petty thefts are 1) people that leave GPS units on their dash and park in a remote lot, 2) people who don't use bike locks, 3) people that leave cell phones, iPods, or laptops laying around and walk away. Common sense people...</p>
<p>The serious crimes compare favorably to Emory. Emory had 20 with an undergrad population that's half the size. The petty theft is a lot lower at Emory (only 32), but that's expected because Emory has about half as many students living on campus and is is an expensive area of town (not right in the middle of Midtown).</p>
<p>You can find a lot of information on the GaTech Police Department website. I believe they have their own Homeland Security division as well to protect the campus in a national emergency. Students (girls and boys) feel safe on campus. </p>
<p>We had an activation of that Homeland Security division a few years ago.</p>
<p>I guess there was a small spill of chemicals at a loading dock to the Ford building, and someone reported it improperly. They sent txt messages to all faculty and students to evacuate campus, came on the PA, started blocking off streets, etc.</p>
<p>Very interesting to see them at work.</p>