A new academic year turns over a new leaf for the Institute, bringing a new football season, tailgates and a fresh, albeit short-lived, determination to achieve a 4.0 GPA for the semester. It also brings new faces on campus with their Rat Caps and lanyard keychains. The excitement of these freshmen is palpable as they stride across the campus with a twinkle in their eyes until their first week of midterms.
Out of 59,760 students who applied, 8,250 applicants have received admission offers to join Tech in the Summer and Fall of 2024. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as well as over 110 countries and 3,025 high schools are represented in the admitted pool of students. The admission rates for Georgia and non-Georgia applicants were 33% and 10%, respectively.
Out of over 8,000 admission offers sent, Tech expects 3,900 students to accept. If the prediction is correct, the incoming freshmen class will be the biggest the Institute has ever seen. In 2023, Tech received 52,354 applications and admitted 3,750 freshmen.
“We are dedicated to recruiting students who align with Tech’s mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition,” said Mary Tipton Woolley, interim executive director of the Office of Undergraduate Admission (OUA). “This year’s admitted students showcase tremendous academic talent and impact on their schools and communities.”
During Early Action 1, where only Georgia students can apply, 2,688 students were admitted. A further 3,000 students joined the group of admitted students after Early Action 2 decisions were sent out. Early Action 2 applications are open to all students, regardless of residency.
Following intensive travel initiatives undertaken by the OUA, Tech received 13% more applications from Georgia students than last year. Committed to exploring new ways to make Tech education more accessible among students in-state, the OUA visited 98 counties and interacted with 4,486 prospective students from 282 schools in 2023. After the onset of COVID-19, this was the most extensive outreach event yet. As a result of these initiatives, students from 130 of Georgia’s counties have received offers this year.
“As we’ve intensified our focus on recruiting students from across our state, I’m proud of the work our team did to visit 60 more counties than our last ‘normal’ travel season,” Woolley said. “Expanding access starts in our home state, and I am excited about the groundwork being laid this fall to engage more Georgians.”
While the end date to accept admissions for non-Georgia students is May 1, this deadline has been extended to May 15 for Georgia students. This extension applies to anyone who attended a Georgia high school or is classified as a Georgia resident.
“Choosing a college is one of the biggest and most exciting moments for these students and their families,” said Steve McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “They need a full financial picture to make such an important life decision. This extension will help Georgia students make an informed decision on their commitment.”
As Tech welcomes a freshmen class that might be bigger than ever, it also faces an even larger need for on-campus housing options. Tech’s Comprehensive Campus Plan outlines multiple campus initiatives, with one of them being how campus space may be utilized to support the growing and changing campus community for the next ten years and beyond.
The report said, “Demand for on-campus housing at Georgia Tech substantially exceeds [the] current supply. This dynamic will intensify as Georgia Tech’s enrollment grows.”
The report predicts the first-year class to exceed 5,000 students by 2031. However, Tech only has 2,906 traditional-style beds to offer currently.
“Georgia Tech must ultimately deliver approximately 1,500 additional first-year beds to maintain the integrity of the first-year experience over the long term,” the report added.
The new dorms between Eighth and Ninth Streets are set to be completed by 2024. Furthermore, the report suggests the construction of two new residential halls along Tenth Street, a small infill site at the intersection of McMillan and Ninth Streets on West campus and the replacement of the existing Fourth Street Apartments (Golden House, Stein House, Gray House and Hayes House) with taller housing options on East campus.
The Institute looks forward to welcoming these new students on campus and encouraging their personal, academic and professional development and is preparing for the necessary changes to handle such enrollment.