One of America's leading public research universities, Georgia Tech offers more than 130 majors and minors focused on the application of technology across a wide array of disciplines. Its College of Engineering and College of Computing are the largest in the United States and among the highest regarded nationally. The university also has competitive programs in business, design, liberal arts, and sciences.
With an acceptance rate of 36% for Georgia residents and just 12% for out-of-state applicants, getting into Georgia Tech can definitely be a challenge. If, however, you want to join over 45,000 students from all 50 states and 149 countries on the primary campus in Atlanta, at one of the international campuses in Metz, France or Shenzhen, China, or through distance or online learning, then read on! In this guide, we will explain Georgia Tech’s admission requirements, deadlines, and tips to help you craft a strong application.
A quick note on college rankings: we think they’re generally a bad way to think about where you should go to college. We talk about why rankings are bad in greater detail here, but essentially, a lot of college rankings don’t actually tell you whether you and the school would fit well together, or that the school is someplace you’ll thrive. That said, we also understand that many students/families are confused regarding and have questions about aspects of the application process, so we’ve built the post below to hopefully clarify things, so students/families can make informed decisions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(click to skip ahead)- How hard is it to get into Georgia Tech?
- Georgia Tech Acceptance Rate
- Georgia Tech GPA Requirements
- Georgia Tech SAT Requirements
- Georgia Tech ACT Requirements
- Is Georgia Tech a good fit for me?
- Georgia Tech Application Deadlines
- Georgia Tech Supplemental Essay Prompts
- Georgia Tech Essay Tips
- Georgia Tech Major-specific Supplemental Essays
How hard is it to get into Georgia Tech?
It is very difficult to get accepted to Georgia Tech, especially for out-of-state applicants. The grade point average of people who get accepted to Georgia Tech are the highest in their class: 96% percent were in the top twenty percent of their graduating class and 87% were in the top ten percent, while 18% were valedictorian.
In addition, students admitted to Georgia Tech tend to have impressive extracurricular activities: 81% participated in community service, 60% participated in a creative arts program, and 50% were engaged in part-time employment.
Georgia Tech Acceptance Rate
Georgia Tech Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
The Georgia Tech acceptance rate is 18%—36% for Georgia residents and 12% for non-residents—making it highly competitive in the United States. Acceptance rate is generally an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like Georgia Tech, you will need to perform well in almost all areas of your college application.
Georgia Tech Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Transfer Acceptance Rate
Georgia Tech Early Action Acceptance Rate
Georgia Tech’s early action acceptance rate is around 40% for Georgia residents. For this past application cycle, they received 6,437 in-state applications and only accepted 2,577 students.
Georgia Tech’s early action 2 acceptance rate for non-Georgia residents on the other hand is about 10%. They accepted applications from 2,838 students in 48 states and 79 countries globally.
Georgia Tech Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
As for their Regular Decision application, Georgia Tech received over 52,000 applications and admitted around 36% of Georgia residents and 12% of non-residents. The good news from their admissions office is that, for the 2023 class, they admitted more students compared to the previous year. The undergraduate admissions office at Georgia Tech also shared that they are planning to intentionally increase their enrollment to their various campuses in the future.
Georgia Tech Transfer Acceptance Rate
Georgia Tech’s transfer acceptance rate is 50% for Georgia residents and 35% for non-Georgia residents. Georgia Tech is a widely popular school to apply to in and outside of the US. Check here for more on how to transfer colleges and how to write a transfer essay.
Georgia Tech GPA Requirements
Georgia Tech First-Year GPA Requirements
While there is no minimum GPA requirement for first-year applicants to Georgia Tech, the average GPA of admitted students was 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating near the top of your class in order to get into Georgia Tech. If your GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests and be able to demonstrate significant impact in other parts of your life beyond academics like your extracurricular activities.
If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section. You can also discuss with your recommenders on how they can better support your strengths beyond academics as well.
Georgia Tech Transfer GPA Requirements
The minimum GPA requirements for transfer applicants to Georgia Tech are 3.3 for College of Computing and College of Engineering and 3.0 for College of Design, College of Sciences, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and Scheller College of Business. A high GPA is typically recommended and you must complete the necessary course requirements for your major to be a competitive transfer applicant to Georgia Tech. Not only that, having completed the necessary course requirements in your current institution prior to transferring would allow you to have a smooth transfer if accepted to Georgia Tech.
To see if your credits are transferable, you may review Georgia Tech’s transfer equivalency table.
Georgia Tech Unweighted Average GPA: 4.1
| GPA Distribution | Percent Admitted |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 91.00% |
| 3.75-3.99 | 7.11% |
| 3.50-3.74 | 0.88% |
| 3.25-3.49 | 0.49% |
| 3.00-3.24 | 0.25% |
| 2.5-2.99 | 0.16% |
| 2.0-2.49 | 0.11% |
| 1.0-1.99 | 0.00% |
| Below 1.0 | 0.00% |
Georgia Tech SAT Requirements
The recommended SAT score for Georgia Tech is between 1360 and 1540, combining the reading and math sections together. You will need a high SAT score in order to get into Georgia Tech. If your SAT score is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you’ll likely need an above-average GPA or spectacular and consistent extracurricular activities to compensate. If your score wasn’t as high as it could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
Georgia tech Average SAT Composite Score: 1465
| SAT Score Distribution | Reading % | Math % |
|---|---|---|
| 700-800 | 64.43% | 75.56% |
| 600-699 | 30.45% | 19.72% |
| 500-599 | 4.79% | 4.28% |
| 400-499 | 0.29% | 0.41% |
| 300-399 | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| 200-299 | 0% | 0% |
What SAT score is required for Georgia Tech?
Applicants should score between 1360 to 1540 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
The average SAT score of admitted students was 1465, which is above the national average of 1059. The middle 50% of admitted students scored between 1360 and 1540 on the SAT, which means that 25% scored above 1520 and 25% below 1360. To be competitive, you should aim to score within or above this range.
Georgia Tech has a superscore policy for the SAT, which means that it will combine your highest scores from different test dates to create your best possible score. This can benefit you if you take the SAT more than once and improve your score on some sections.
Georgia Tech does not use the writing section of the SAT.
Georgia Tech ACT Requirements
The recommended ACT score for Georgia Tech is between 31 and 35 combining all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. You will need a very high ACT score in order to get into Georgia Tech. If your ACT score is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you’ll likely need an above-average GPA or spectacular extracurricular activities to compensate. If your score wasn’t as high as it could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
Georgia Tech Average ACT: 33
| ACT Score Range | Composite Score % |
|---|---|
| 30-36 | 82.46% |
| 24-29 | 14.60% |
| 18-23 | 2.65% |
| 12-17 | 0.29% |
| 6-11 | 0% |
| Below 6 | 0% |
What ACT score is required for Purdue?
Applicants should score between 31 and 35 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to Georgia Tech. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
The average ACT score of students admitted to Georgia Tech was 33. The middle 50% of students admitted to Georgia Tech scored between 31 and 35 on the ACT, which means that 25% scored below 31 and 25% scored above 35. To be competitive, you should aim to score within or above this range.
Georgia Tech has a superscore policy for the ACT, which means that it will combine your highest scores from different test dates to create your best possible score. This can benefit you if you take the ACT more than once and improve your score on some sections.
Georgia Tech does not use the writing section of the ACT.
In order for students to complete their application to Georgia Tech, they are encouraged to submit their standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) by self-reporting to the institution. There are two ways for students to self-report their standardized scores:
Standardized test scores can be self-reported in the Common Application testing section.
After the application has been submitted, applicants will have the ability to access the form in their admissions portal to self-report their standardized test scores,
Scores received on school transcripts which are sent via fax, email and postal services will not be accepted.
Is Georgia Tech a good fit for me?
The biggest thing Georgia Tech focuses on is how applicants will benefit the campus learning environment, as stated in its Competitive Admission Policy. Yes, competitive grades and test scores are important, but most students who get rejected from Georgia Tech have those kinds of scores. You need to show how you and the school will make a great team. Figuring out how Georgia Tech is the right fit institution for you will make you a more competitive applicant.
How do you know if you and Georgia Tech are a good fit? How do you demonstrate to the school that you think you are?
Start by exploring Georgia Tech’s mission and values, through its mission statement and its strategic plan. Notice, for example, how often the focus is on improving the human condition. Georgia Tech wants to work with students who want to address “the biggest local, national, and global challenges of our time.”
How do you see yourself aligning with this mission and these values? What parts of your story demonstrate that you have already worked toward these things, and that Georgia Tech is the place for you to take your next step? How will you and the Georgia Tech community partner to make a positive impact in the lives of people everywhere?
How else can you demonstrate that you and Georgia Tech fit together? Think about your answers to these questions:
How have you made a positive impact at your school or in your community, and how can you help Georgia Tech admissions readers see that?
Where have you championed innovation in your education or extracurricular activities, and how will you continue to do so?
How have you connected and engaged with the wider community?
Where and how have you collaborated with team members of differing backgrounds or abilities to make an impact?
How do you take care of your own as well as others’ well-being?
And when have you led by example?
Georgia Tech Application Deadlines
The Georgia Tech application deadline for regular decision is January 4th, 2024. Georgia Tech also provides an alternative form of application in addition to regular decision: early action. The application deadline for early action is October 16th (for Georgia students) and November 1st (for non-Georgia students). Below is a table showing the deadlines for each of the steps of the Georgia Tech admissions process.
| Notification Plan | Application Material | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Early Action 1 (GA students) |
2024 Application Deadline | October 16 |
| Document Deadline | October 30 | |
| Self-Reported Test Scores Deadline | November 20 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | TBD | |
| Early Action 2 (non-GA students) |
2024 Application Deadline | November 1 |
| Document Deadline | November 15 | |
| Self-Reported Test Scores Deadline | January 2 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | TBD | |
| Regular Decision | 2024 Application Deadline | January 4 |
| Document Deadline | January 17 | |
| Self-Reported Test Scores Deadline | January 17 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | TBD |
Please be aware that all submission deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. local time (for instance, a student from Washington DC, USA, must submit their application by 11:59 p.m. ET).
Georgia Tech Early Decision, Early Action Policy
If you apply to Georgia Tech through the Early Action program and are accepted, you are not committed to attending. You can still accept a spot at another university—the decision is not binding. Applications are reviewed according to the same criteria as under the regular decision process.
Early Action 1 is a special deadline just for Georgia students. If you go to a high school in Georgia, or if you're from Georgia but living somewhere else, this is for you.
Early Action 2 is meant for students who aren't from Georgia and want to get their application reviewed earlier. This includes both students from other states and from other countries.
If you're aiming for an academic scholarship like the Stamps President's Scholars Program, Scheller Dean's Scholarship, or others, make sure to send in your application by the Early Action deadline that applies to you (based on your Georgia residency status). You don't need to fill out a separate form for these scholarships—it's all included in the application!
Georgia Tech Supplemental Essay Prompts
Georgia Tech requires applicants to submit a 300-word supplemental essay in addition to the Common App personal statement. The prompt is simple and straightforward:
Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech?
Check out this link to get some in-depth guidance and insight on how you can start crafting your supplemental essay for Georgia Tech's application. For now, here are some…
Georgia Tech Essay Tips
Specifics, specifics, specifics. Pack your essay with examples that demonstrate you have done your research. This can include the school’s mission and values, research projects by Georgia Tech faculty, or courses/programs/experiences that only Georgia Tech offers.
Connect Georgia Tech’s specifics to you and your interests. On top of showing that Georgia Tech is a great school for you, show how you will be a great fit for the school. A great way to do this is to refer to specific interests and “stuff you’ve done” that you’ll build on once you’re a Yellow Jacket.
Show more than one side of yourself. Make sure you capture the full range of your interests and abilities. You are more than just a major! How might these interests and abilities give you a different perspective on your studies?
Kavita Chandran has nearly a decade of experience in university admissions and college counseling, holding positions at EducationUSA, the Fulbright Commission, and United World Colleges. As a former international student and the first in her family to graduate from college, Kavita is passionate about making higher education accessible to all. She received her Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Nottingham and her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality from the University of Washington. During her free time, Kavita enjoys running, yoga, and salsa dancing.
Top Values: Curiosity/ Empathy/ Equity
