On Friday evening, admission decisions were delivered to nearly 7,000 students who applied in Early Action 1, marking a 9% rise in applications from last year.
A total of 2,688 students were admitted, for an overall admit rate of 38%. These accepted students hail from 111 Georgia counties and 404 high schools across the state.
“Early Action 1 decision release caps off years of dedication to school and community by students in our applicant pool,” said Mary Tipton Woolley, senior associate director of the Office of Undergraduate Admission. “It takes an incredibly dedicated admission staff and months of training and holistic review to make decisions amongst such qualified applicants. I’m so glad some of our staff were able to celebrate with students in person today.”
Several students got their acceptance notification in the form of surprise personal deliveries.
At 15 high schools in Atlanta, Cartersville, Griffin, Athens, Hiawassee, and beyond, students were given their acceptance letters in person by members of the admission office and other Tech faculty and staff.
At Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, six students received their acceptance letters from admission counselor Katie Mattli. Each student was surprised with the announcement while surrounded by family, school faculty, and staff.
Family members learned the news first, ahead of their student’s arrival. Keiko Ishibashi, mother of Sola Ishibashi, shed a few tears when she learned of Sola’s acceptance moments before Sola received the surprising news herself.
“She’s been stressing about this,” said Keiko.
Sola entered the room next, where she said she thought she was meeting to go over information for a class. Instead, she opened her admission letter and read the first couple of sentences that congratulated her on her admission to Georgia Tech.
“This is so much better than sitting in front of a computer screen,” she laughed.
Announcements to other students went similarly, with faces of surprise from both students and families alike followed quickly by celebration. For Mattli, the magic of hand deliveries is unmatched.
“I’ve been doing this for quite a few years, and my favorite thing is getting to see the joy in that room,” said Mattli. “The college application process is stressful for students, and today we get to watch them look around the room and see everyone who helped them get to this moment and who have been in their corner — family, counselors, teachers. It’s just such a joyful time.”
The hand deliveries capped off what has been a banner year for travel for the admission office at Tech, which saw visits to 282 schools and connections with nearly 4,500 students.
A record high number of 11,000 degree-seeking Georgia students enrolled at Tech this fall, a 20% increase over the past five years. As enrollment from Georgia students grows, Tech remains committed to serving these students and the state.
“In recent years, the undergraduate admission office has focused on serving students in our home state,” said Woolley. “And that means ensuring students from all corners of the state have the opportunity for a Georgia Tech education.”
First-year applicants choose one of three admission plans: Early Action 1, Early Action 2, or Regular Decision, with Early Action 1 reserved for Georgia students. Early Action 2 decisions for non-Georgia students will be announced in January, and the Regular Decision announcement will occur in March.
Follow @gtadmission on social media to keep up to date on undergraduate admission at Georgia Tech or visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission website for more information.