How to Get Into Georgia Tech: Acceptance Rate and Strategies

Atlanta, 1990: The MLB’s Braves are busy assembling a young nucleus of talent that will lead them to a record 14-straight division titles. A Southern hip-hop style is taking over the country with artists like Usher and TLC earning the city the nickname “The Motown of the South.” Atlanta-based cable news channel, CNN, pulled in 10 million viewers per night to watch Operation Desert Storm unfold live on America’s televisions. And in Midtown, the city’s most dense neighborhood, rests a public university of little fanfare—Georgia Tech– In 1990 the Georgia Tech Acceptance rate was 69% and it received 5,843 total applicants.

Fast-forward to 2006, and the Braves dynasty was over, TLC had gone their separate ways, and CNN had been replaced as America’s top-rated news network and yet, the admit rate at Georgia Tech remained unchanged at 69%. Major increases to research expenditures and enrollment that began in the ‘90s finally started to pay dividends in the mid-aughts. From that point on, the school’s prestige rose as rapidly as the acceptance rate declined. By 2013, roughly half of applicants were accepted; the next year, only one-third. The 50,000+ vying for a place in the Class of 2027 were accepted at just a 16% clip. Georgia Tech is now an elite school and those seeking to enter the College of Engineering or College of Computing face an admissions gauntlet almost as fierce as that of MIT, Caltech, and Carnegie Mellon—particularly if applying from out of state.

All of this history perhaps serves to explain why there are few schools that applicants underestimate more than Georgia Tech in terms of selectivity.

To remedy this issue, we will provide those considering applying to Georgia Tech a full understanding of the following topics:

• Georgia Tech EA acceptance rate
• When Does Georgia Tech EA Come out?
• Georgia Tech acceptance rate – Class of 2027
• Georgia Tech out-of-state acceptance rate
• SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted Georgia Tech applicants
• Admissions trends
• Georgia Tech’s system for rating applicants
• A look at the demographics of Georgia Tech undergraduates
• The percent of accepted students that attend the university
• Tips for applying
• How to approach the Georgia Tech supplemental essay
• How to assess whether applying to Georgia Tech is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)

Let’s begin with an examination of the most recent admissions data.

Georgia Tech Early Action Acceptance Rate – Class of 2027

Georgia Tech only allows Georgia residents to apply via early action 1. In January 2022, the university admitted 2,577 EA1 applicants for a 40% acceptance rate. Additionally, students admitted via EA1 into the Class of 2027 hailed from 369 Georgia high schools, 107 counties, and 13% came from rural areas.

The EA2 deadline typically falls roughly two weeks after the EA1 deadline and is open to non-residents. Those applying EA2 to the Class of 2027 saw just a 10% acceptance rate–there were more than 27,000 out-of-state EA2 applicants this cycle.

When Does Georgia Tech EA Come out?

For out-of-state students, applying through the Early Action 2 round,  admissions decisions came out on January 27th last year. EA 1 decision for Georgia residents came out on December 9th.

Georgia Tech Acceptance Rate – Class of 2027

52,354 total applications were submitted for a place in the 2023-24 freshman class. The overall Georgia Tech acceptance rate was 16%. This is the lowest clip in school history. Recent acceptance rates are as follows:

• Class of 2026: 17%
• 2025: 18%
• 2024: 20%

Georgia Tech Out of State Acceptance Rate

The Georgia Tech out-of-state acceptance rate was 12% for the Class of 2027. The in-state acceptance rate was a far more favorable 36%.

Georgia Tech Admissions – SAT, ACT, and Class Rank

The mid-50% SAT score for members of the Class of 2026 (most recent data available) was 1360-1540; the ACT range was 31-35. An impressive 91% of those attending placed in the top decile of their high school class and 98% were in the top quartile. The mean unweighted GPA for freshmen entering the university in 2022-23 was an astounding 3.9.

Admissions Trends & Notes 

• Firstly, applications increased 3.5% from the previous cycle.
• Further, 1,807 high schools were represented among EA 2 admits.
• First-generation students make up 10% of the admitted Class of 2027.
• The 2023-24 admitted cohort included International students from 103 nations.
• Lastly, the incoming freshman class is expected to be roughly 600 seats larger than four years ago.
• 18% of the most recent enrolled class were either the valedictorian or salutatorian of their high school class.

How Georgia Tech Rates Applicants

There are eight factors that Georgia Tech ranks as being “very important” to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, paid work experience, volunteer work, and character/personal qualities.

State residency, geographical residence, and test scores are “important”.

Factors that are “considered” are recommendations, talent/ability, first-generation status, legacy status, racial/ethnic status.

Georgia Tech is not going to be impressed that you filled the ten spaces on the Common App Activity List; they are looking for genuine excellence in one or more activities. In fact, they explicitly state that: “Typically students are involved in 3-5 activities in a meaningful way, so don’t feel pressure to fill in all the blanks. As you complete your application, we recommend that you start by listing the activities you care about the most.” For example, you won a prestigious international science or mathematics competition, you coauthored original research, or you helped to develop an app, or you used your skills to help a charitable organization.

When conducting a holistic review, the GT admissions team wants to see evidence of:

• Commitment
• Self-motivation
• Personal Responsibility
• Compassion for Others
• Initiative
• Leadership
• Entrepreneurism
• Intellectual Curiosity

Who Actually Gets Into Georgia Tech?

Let’s look at the demographics of the Class of 2026.

Geographically, the greatest number of incoming freshmen hailed from the following states :

• California
• Florida
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Illinois
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Virginia

Competition is harshest among those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants (the entire Northeast & the West Coast). In other words, if you come from a less populated state like Alaska, North Dakota, or Montana, your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances.

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown for the freshman cohort entering in fall of 2022 was as follows:

• White: 34%
• Asian: 42%
• Hispanic: 10%
• African American: 9%
• Two or more: 5%

The countries sending the greatest number of students into the GT Class of 2026 were:

• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• India
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• South Korea
• Vietnam

The breakdown by gender is as follows:

• Male: 61%
• Female: 39%

With far fewer women entering the university, female applicants certainly have a significant edge over male applicants.

The extracurricular pursuits most commonly pursued by GT students were in high school were:

• Community service (81% participated)
• The arts (60% participated)
• Work (50% held a part-time job)

Yield Rate

Georgia Tech’s yield rate is 43%. This number is over 35 points lower than Harvard and Stanford but in the same ballpark as many other selective private universities. Georgia Tech sports a similar yield rate to schools like NYU, Rice, USC, and Carnegie Mellon.

Tips for Applying to Georgia Tech

If you plan on joining the 50,000+ Yellow Jacket hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

• Georgia Tech does not offer any type of in-person or alumni interviews for incoming freshmen. As a result, one of the best ways for admissions officers to get to know you on a personal level is through your two required recommendations. For tips on which teachers to target and how to ask, revisit our blog on the subject.
• Georgia Tech does consider “demonstrated interest” so you may be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit (in non-pandemic times), contacted an admissions officer, etc. Given the school’s lower yield rate (compared to some other elite schools), it is never a bad idea to reach out to an admissions officer with a question, attend a virtual session, or engage with the school on social media.
• Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the lone supplemental essays presently required by Georgia Tech:

1. Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech?

For a detailed look at how to tackle this essay visit our blog entitled: Georgia Tech Essay Prompt and Tips.

Should I Apply?

In conclusion, if you bring strong academic and extracurricular credentials to the table, there is no harm in filling out a Georgia Tech application, but—as with all highly-competitive colleges in 2023-24—even the best and brightest teens need to have an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. Those that will fare best in conquering this admissions gauntlet will boast a transcript of straight ‘A’s in an exceptionally rigorous program of classes, superior standardized test scores (when possible to take them with the pandemic), and at least one or two talents and passions outside of the classroom.