Admissions

If you are interested in coming to Georgia Tech, take both the SAT and the ACT. Many people only do one or the other, but it works in students' advantage if they take both. Georgia Tech accepts both and some people might do better on one or the other.

Make sure that you take honors, gifted or Advanced Placement classes. Georgia Tech looks for students who have already challenged themselves to do above and beyond the requirement.

On the other hand, if you do take higher level courses in high school, make sure you maintain a grade point average that is close to Tech's standards. Do not let your grades slip, especially during your junior and senior years.

Georgia Tech wants to know that you are a well- rounded student. Admissions wants to know not only what you can do in the classroom, but also what you can do for the world. This school is prided on research and technology that makes the world a better place. Admissions will want to see if you are involve in sports, honor societies, interest clubs, the community, your church, or in the arts.

Last but not least, do not underestimate the power of a well- written essay. The essay is the only chance for admissions to see you as an individual. Do not take the opportunity lightly. Now that they have seen your credentials and what you have done, tell them what has driven you, why you have a desire to succeed, and why you take part in the activities you take part in. Let them know who you are as a person- not simply a piece of paper. Make sure that you stay on the topic provided and that you report to your English teacher for revising and editing.

I recommend that you take both the ACT and the SAT. Although it's not required to take both, it makes you stand out among the crowd. Also, the more community service and volunteer experience you have, the better your chances of being accepted.

Make sure to apply as early as possible. This is the case with all colleges and universities but I can not stress this enough. Georgia Tech receives more applicants that it can handle each year so the review process is lengthy. Apply before the early deadline to guarantee a possible acceptance. Sometimes students that apply for the regular deadline don't get accepted due to the fact that too many have already been admitted. Make sure to apply via paper application as well. Online applications are less personal and can easily be overlooked.

For those that have been accepted and are about to begin their first year, come prepared. Georgia Tech is not like high school and classes will be challenging no matter what it is. Come in with a ready attitude. You must take all classes seriously, even those that may seem less difficult.

Start strong. Take advantage of every opportunity you can, and try to do well on classes since the beginning of the semester, as it can be difficult to improve the grade later on.

There's always more work to do. Downtime is a must, but every hour you need to make sure you've accomplished something semi-productive. If you don't have an answer, you're doing something wrong.
Have a strong base of friends who want to see you succeed. NOBODY escapes Tech without having a strong support group and get to know your professors. Sure you'll see them as people who just want to make your life miserable, but in reality, they just want to see you succeed.

1] Please learn to manage your time. There is time to study, have fun, and just relax. Make sure to not stress yourself out too much!
2] Make sure to be involved in clubs in high school because it helps build teamwork skills needed in college. It is also good to have some leadership positions. Being active in high school tells a college that you are most likely to be an active student in college as well.
3] Study for the SATs and ACTs. It is not necessary to take both, but I did to enforce my application. AP exams are also great opportunities for college credit and also show higher academic achievement.
4] Be positive! Be excited! Be motivated!

The next few things I’m about to say are what I believe to be important, because not only will they help those interested in or planning on attending Tech, but they may also help those who change their mind and end up elsewhere.

#1. One of the greatest struggles I had to fight was whether or not to hang out with my buddies whenever they came knocking at my door. Think about it this way: if you wasted a bunch of time procrastinating, then you have to sacrifice your “fun” time with studying. Which brings me to my next point.

#2. Don’t fall to temptation. Despite how much you love your friends, don’t listen to them no matter how much they push you “take a break.” After all, you know yourself best, and it’s up to you to decide for yourself whether you need those extra hours to study or not. Remember that people learn at different paces, so just because your friend feels prepared doesn’t mean you should feel pressured to, too. Don’t feel “nerdy” just because you feel like you have to hit the books more than others.

#3. Go to class, and don’t fall behind. Short story: just go to class, because in all honesty, the two are tied together. I didn’t attend certain lectures sometimes because I felt like I didn’t learn anything while sitting there. So what’s the point, right? I might as well spend that time “wisely” by studying on my own. However, you may (and most likely) spend more time sleeping in (like I did) than you do studying like you may have planned to. In the end, you fall behind and you even start lacking the self motivation that pushes you to go to class in the first place.

if you are an in-state student, gt places maximums on how many students can be accepted from your high school per year. get your foot in the door somehow- distance calculus, dual enrollment, an internship, etc. a visit will not cut it because so many people are doing the same thing. GT loves diversity. make yourself an outlier somehow: start a business, be in an underrepresented group, be from a state or country that sends few students to tech, have ivy-caliber stats, or write about something ridiculous about yourself in your application.

Stay open minded and don't give up. Tech can and will literally drain you of everything you have.

If you decide to come here, be prepared to work hard. At some times I thought I couldn't possibly study anymore, yet at the same time realized that I had to. On the flip side, be prepared to have a lot of fun times as well. There are many Tech traditions that make this school unique and a great place to go to school. Also, get out once and a while. Make friends and generally be open to other ideas, traditions, and especially people. GO JACKETS!!!!!

Pursue a major that you feel passionate about - keep an open mind career-wise and don't crowd out other possibilities of study. Know your limits when it comes to taking a specific class load - take a manageable amount of classes your first semester to help keep your GPA high.