what are my chances at georgia tech

I’m an upcoming senior from Maryland and Georgia Tech is my dream school. I’ve taken my SATs and ACTs twice and I’m taking both of them again in a month. My SAT is a 1380 (750 on math 630 on reading). My ACT is a 31, with a 30 in math, 29 in science, 34 in reading, and a 31 in writing. My GPA is 3.8 unweighted and 4.47 weighted. I took AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Biology, AP Lang, and am going to take AP Lit, AP Computer Science, and AP Government. I have been apart of the school yearbook in newspaper since sophomore year and this year I am going to be Editor in Chief of the yearbook. I will have danced all 4 years, but my school has no dance team, so that it outside of school. I am in NEHS, NMHS, SGA, and another fundraising club focused on helping developing countries. Also I am latina and female. It’s my understanding that I am on the edge between getting accepted and denied. I am also applying early action. Do I have a chance at Georgia Tech? Is there anything I could do to help my chance now, even though it is fairly late to make changes

First, “I have been apart of . . . .” should be “I have been a part of . . . .”

Turning to your main query, you may be able to get an idea of where you place relative to recently admitted students by looking at the Georgia Tech Common Data Set: Part C9 of the CDS gives the median 50% for both SAT and ACT scores, as well as the percentage of the entering first-year class falling within certain ranges of SAT and ACT scores; Part C11 gives the percentage of entering first-year students falling within a range of unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, and Part C12 gives the average high school GPA of first-year applicants.

The CDS also tells you, under Part C7, that GPA and the rigor of your high school record are “very important” academic factors considered for freshman admission, whereas standardized test scores and your application essay(s) are “important” academic factors considered for freshman admission. Extracurricular activities are considered as “very important” non-academic factors. When I attended an Open House at Georgia Tech this past February, the Admissions Director, Rick Clark, echoed these points of emphasis — and primarily that GPA means more than standardized test scores to the Georgia Tech Admissions Office.

And, on the subject of the CDS, here is a link to a blog from Rick Clark at Georgia Tech’s Admissions Office, which discusses (about halfway into the article) how to read and interpret some of the information in the CDS: http://pwp.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2017/06/07/kitchen-bars-and-common-data-sets/. Generally, I have found Rick Clark’s blogs to be helpful; here is another one that shows his professional perspective: http://pwp.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2017/05/16/admission-its-not-fair/. His thoughts on how “mission drives admission” are good; and when you are writing your application essay(s), you might consider what Georgia Tech’s mission is, and how you see yourself fitting in with that mission in the event that you are admitted.

In comparing your statistics with the most recent CDS, your GPA is fine; your ACT score is towards the low end of the median 50% for admitted applicants; and while your SAT math is good, your SAT reading is below the 25% percentile for admitted students. Statistically, I think you are on the bubble; however, being a URM and a female may do the trick for you. My sense is that Georgia Tech has been admitting more females the past couple of admissions cycles, perhaps due to a desire to ameliorate the male/female imbalance in the undergraduate population; if so, then that should help you. As you are taking the SAT again, it also might be worth your while to take a test preparation course.

Insofar as ECs go, don’t worry about trying to add any more; admissions officers can spot “drive by” ECs very quickly. Rather, in your application essay(s), try to emphasize your leadership qualities for the ECs in which you have been involved.

I don’t know whether your high school has Naviance or any similar program that gives information about how students at your high school have done in applying to colleges and universities; if so, then look at that data. But you should definitely meet with a guidance counselor at your school early in the Fall semester to discuss application strategies for Georgia Tech; if any former students from your school have been admitted to Georgia Tech recently, the guidance counselor may be able to give some insight into how and why such student(s) were successful.

Good luck to you.

@collegestress111 I don’t do chance threads but since my DD is a Latina at Georgia Tech, I thought I would give you my advice.

  1. If you haven't visited GT and can afford to, I highly encourage you to do so. Usually in September, Georgia Tech has a special visit event for Latino students which I think is called "Destination Tech." I recommend you atttend that event if possible. Invites go out to students who request the invitation. The admissions office has staff assigned to Latino recruitment of students. In the past it was Kevin Gonzalez but I think he now has a different position so contact the admission office to get that person's contact info. Send that person an email introducing yourself and ask about special visits. If you can't visit, tell them why and ask if anyone from GT is coming to your area that you can meet. Remember the regional GT admission rep will also be reviewing your application so get to know that person too. Within admissions is a student group called the "Hispanic Recruitment Team". helps organize visits and events for Latino students. https://www.facebook.com/gthrt/ Contact them also and ask them for help or tips as well as invites. By the way GT has great support for Latino students. See also http://admission.gatech.edu/hrt
  2. Same applies for recruitment of women students. Admissions has a person assigned to women recruitment and their is a student group "women recruitment team." Make sure to contact them, introduce yourself and try to meet with them if they come to your area or you visit GT. http://admission.gatech.edu/wrt
  3. Admissions at GT is very holistic. It is not just test scores and grades. The motto of GT is "progress and service" therefore make sure your application through essays or highlightening your activities addresses this motto. I try to protect my DD's personal information so I will not share her grades or test scores but I would say she fell in the bottom 25% of accepted students in terms of grades and test scores. Her regional rep was very helpful and gave her the advice about visiting GT again and making contact with the reps and teams. My DD had great and unique ECs so the rep told her how to make sure her essays and EC chart highlighted them and supported GT's mission statement. The best advice I heard from Rick Clark was an interview where he said that he wanted to know if your high school would miss you and why. GT wants students who will be engaged and will do things on campus beyond the classroom work- tell them what you want to do and what you have done in the past. This interview touches upon that concept. http://collegeadmissionbook.com/blog/rick-clark-director-admission-georgia-institute-technology Spend time on your essays and make sure you answer the prompt. be specific and give specific examples, e.g I like to do x, GT has Y specific program which compliments my interest and I would do z at GT. "
  4. Definitely do Early Action. Your numbers are much better plus for some special programs and scholarships you have to be in the early action pool. Definitely apply for Grand Challenges. My DD did it and it was incredible. If you are interested in Grand Challenges, contact them and let them know. Go visit their office if you get to the GT campus. I would rely less on your high schools Naviance when it comes to GT. In 2013 GT's early action acceptance rate was 70% but since the switch to the Common App and the popularity of GT that EA rate is really going down and is now around 28%. The numbers may be skewed so you don't get an accurante picture. Plus so much goes into GT admissions like gender, URM, choice of major etc that it is better to just put your best foot forward and do a quality application.
  5. Put together a resume (no more than 3 pages) that you then copy and paste to make your activities chart. I have my students do that and they do much better and organized applications.
  6. If you need a lot of financial aid, please know that GT is not the best for aid for out of state students. Your package will usually consist of all loans. There are a few scholarships like Provost or Stamps that are big and make GT affordable for the OOS but if your EFC is zero, GT will not be affordable for you.

I discourage you from doing chance threads. The only person who can give you a correct estimate of your chances is the actual admission office. Chance threads just create anxiety and waste time. I am sure many would have given my DD a negative response on her “chances” based on her high school grades and test scores, but she ran with the opportunities given to her by GT, figured out how to do college well, works hard in managing her time and made deans list or faculty honors every semester and is on track to graduate with highest honors next year. I am very appreciative that GT looked beyond her grades and test scores to see her potential. (By the way it does work the opposite way too where high school students have off the charts grades and test scores but at GT have grades much lower than my DD’s so that is why high school grades and test scores are not a full-proof predictor of college succes.) Start now on doing your GT application. I would be happy to look at your essays and EC/Cs chart. Just send me a pm but you have to give me at least a week since I am busy with my own students and vacation.

Good luck.