Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia is a public institution of 19,000 undergraduates, 61% of them Georgia residents, 29% out of state, and 10% international. The gender split is evening out: while the student body is 60% male/40% female, this year's class is 45% female.

Academics here are strong and challenging; the biomedical engineering program, for example, has flipped between #1 and #2 in the US in recent years. We were told that students here are collaborative and like to take chances. They commonly do research of their own, and about 200 undergraduate-led startups come out of that every year. Georgia Tech's policy is that students own their own intellectual property, which I believe is unusual. This means that students are given $20,000 and access to Georgia Tech attorneys to run with their idea. I love that all engineering students must meet an ethics requirement and within the AI minor, the only required course is one that deals with the ethics of AI.

A co-op program is offered, but it adds a year to the degree. As such, co-ops are decreasing and internships are increasing. There are 2 career fairs each year as well as many major-specific fairs.

Regarding admissions, they take no prisoners: they know who they are, they know what they're looking for, and they were very clear about it. They expect advanced classes across all subject areas; 15 or more AP classes is very common in their applicant pool. Students are not admitted by major, but they do consider academic interest when building their class. The "why the major" essay is very important and they will be looking throughout the application to see how the student will be a fit for the major they intend. Once accepted, a student may change their major. The exception is computer science; as the department is "drowning in students," they must declare when applying. And they were clear in saying that students do not come to Georgia Tech to learn computer science.; they come to Georgia Tech proficient in computer science so they can then pursue research and studies in the field. Independent research is common among applicants, and "a 1550 SAT is not what's going to get you in." Another tidbit: in their admissions review, they actually call extracurriculars "contribution to community." They want to know what kind of impact the student has had on those around them.

The admit rate for Georgia residents is about 35%, while the out-of-state rate is 10%. But keep in mind that the applicant pool is very impressive.

Freshman housing is not guaranteed, but it's likely, and many students stay on campus all 4 years. About a quarter of the students are involved in Greek life, there's a really cool community garden on campus, and a huge student rec center with a climbing wall, water slide, and lazy river.

At $52K all-in for out-of-state students, Georgia Tech is a tremendous fit for the gifted student who can make it through the admissions funnel.