How to Get Into Georgia Tech: Admissions Stats + Tips

What’s Covered:

• How Hard Is It to Get Into Georgia Tech?
• Average Academic Profile of Accepted Georgia Tech College Students
• What is Georgia Tech Looking For?
• How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is a public research university located in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Tech is ranked within the top ten public universities in the U.S., and the college’s research plays a critical role in the Georgia Research Alliance, which impacts Georgia’s economic development strategy.

Georgia Tech offers over 100 undergraduate majors and minors that span across six colleges and 28 schools. The Scheller College of Business and College of Engineering are both highly ranked. They’re also well-known for their football team, the “Yellow Jackets,” which has won four national championships.

Since Georgia Tech is a highly ranked school with a competitive admissions process, it’s imperative to have a solid academic profile and well-rounded application to be considered for acceptance. In this post, we’ll review the average academic profile of a prospective Georgia Tech student, important factors the admissions committee looks for, tips for improving your chances of acceptance, and everything else you need to know to apply for Georgia Tech.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Georgia Tech?

Getting accepted into Georgia Tech is challenging, but it is possible with hard work and determination. Last year, only 21% of applicants were admitted. Out of 40,852 who applied, only 8,719 were accepted. Since Georgia Tech is a selective school, it’s critical to have a robust application when you apply.

While Georgia Tech’s acceptance rate is low, your personal chances of acceptance may be higher or lower depending on the strength of your academic profile.

To gain an understanding of your chances of acceptance at Georgia Tech, use our free admissions calculator. This tool uses your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and more to estimate your odds of acceptance and top schools, like Georgia Tech. Plus, we’ll give you tips on how to improve your profile!

Average Academic Profile of Accepted Georgia Tech College Students

GPA

The average high school GPA of the Georgia Tech Class of 2025 is 4.09. The percentage of students with a 4.0 GPA is 84.6%.

SAT/ACT

The middle 50% SAT scores for admitted Georgia Tech students were 1380-1520. The middle 50% for ACT scores is 31-35.

71% of students submitted SAT scores, while 51% of students submitted ACT scores. Georgia Tech requires students to submit either an SAT or ACT score during the application process.

Class Rank

Of the students accepted to Georgia Tech for the 2020-2021 school year, 88% were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class. 98% of students were in the top quarter of their graduating class.

What is Georgia Tech Looking For?

Most students applying to Georgia Tech have a strong academic profile. Although submitted high test scores and a competitive GPA are essential, it’s also crucial to develop a well-rounded application and find unique ways to stand out as an individual.

Georgia Tech says they are looking for students who ​​enjoy being challenged and are committed to improving the human condition. They are equally interested in your academic background and your interests and pursuits outside the classroom.

How Georgia Tech Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, Georgia Tech considers the following factors “very important”:

• Course rigor
• Academic GPA
• Application essay
• Extracurricular activities
• Character/personal qualities
• Volunteer work
• Work experience

These factors are “important”:

• Standardized test scores
• Geographical residence
• State residency

These are “considered”:

• Recommendations
• Talent/ability
• First-generation
• Alumni relation
• Racial/ethnic status

And these are “not considered”:

• Class rank
• Religious affiliation
• Interview
• Level of applicant’s interest

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Georgia Tech

1. Achieve at least a 4.09 GPA while taking the most challenging classes available

Remember, the average GPA of students accepted to Georgia Tech for the 2020-2021 school year was 4.09, and the percentage of students with a 4.0 GPA is 84.6%.

When you’re applying to Georgia Tech, it’s crucial to ensure your GPA clears this threshold to increase your chances of admission.

The reason why is a tool called the Academic Index. The Academic Index is used by selective schools, like Georgia Tech, to determine if a student has sufficient academic qualifications to be considered during the admissions process. If you don’t have a competitive transcript, it’s unlikely your application will make it past this initial step in the admissions process.

Although it’s important to keep your GPA high, it’s also important to challenge yourself with rigorous courses. Consider taking honors classes and AP classes to give your transcript (and your application) an extra boost.

If your GPA is lower, and you’re earlier on in your high school career, check out our tips for increasing your GPA. If you’re a junior or senior in high school, it will be harder to improve your GPA, so the easiest way to increase your Academic Index is to get a higher test score.

2. Aim for a 1520 SAT and 35 ACT

Last year, the middle 50% SAT scores for admitted students at Georgia Tech was 1380-1520, and the middle 50% for ACT scores was 31-35. 71% of students submitted SAT scores, while 51% of students submitted ACT scores.

Since Georgia Tech is not a test-optional school, you’ll need to take either the SAT or ACT and garner a competitive score to be considered for acceptance.

To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

3. Cultivate at least one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

Even though all your extracurriculars demonstrate your interests and personality, some extracurriculars are more notable to the admissions committee than others. To help you determine how each type of extracurricular activity is evaluated, we’ve created a rating system called the Four Tiers of Extracurriculars.

When you’re applying to a competitive school like Georgia Tech, we recommend you be involved in a couple of Tier 1-2 extracurriculars to stand out to the admissions committee.

Tier 1 activities include outstanding achievements or leadership, like winning, being selected for a prestigious summer program, or receiving national recognition for an accomplishment in sports or music.

Tier 2 activities include more common achievements that demonstrate leadership, like becoming the student body president at your school or being an all-state selection for football or band.

Instead of participating in a range of unrelated activities, focus heavily on a related set of extracurriculars (a highly-developed interest known as a “spike“). For example, winning a national writing competition with an essay you wrote during your junior year and serving as the editor in chief for your school’s newspaper are two extracurricular accomplishments that show a related interest in writing!

4. Write engaging essays

Your essays are one of the best ways to stand out during the admissions process. Georgia Tech rates your essays as a “very important” part of the admissions process, so it’s essential to take your time to develop thorough responses. Try to demonstrate your alignment with the school, personal qualities and character traits, and volunteer experiences and contribution to your community in your essay. Georgia Tech considers all these factors for admission, so be sure to weave them into your essays!

Discover our tips and best practices for writing the Georgia Tech essays for the 2021-2022 school year!

5. Apply early action

Although Georgia Tech does not have an early decision or “restrictive” early action plan, they have a regular early action plan. They also have two phases of early action admissions—one for Georgia students and one for out-of-state students. Georgia Tech’s early action plan does not restrict you from applying to the action plans at other schools.

However, applying by the early action deadline can significantly increase your chances of acceptance into Georgia Tech. Generally speaking, early action students are 4-6% more likely to be accepted than non-early action applicants. This number may seem insignificant, but when you consider that only 21% of all applicants are accepted to Georgia Tech, this advantage can be significant for competitive schools.

How to Apply to Georgia Tech

Deadlines

Application Requirements

Students can apply using the Common Application. You’ll also need the following:

• $75 application fee
• Official high school transcript with 9-12th courses and 9-11th grades
• Self-reported or official SAT/ACT scores
• Supplemental essays and short responses

Learn more about Georgia Tech

• What Is Georgia Tech Known For?

• Georgia Tech Student Panel

• What Does It Cost to Attend Georgia Tech?