Georgia Tech is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a medium-sized (about 16,000 students) tech-focused school that puts a major emphasis on the importance of research opportunities. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 20%. Georgia Tech changed their supplement this year. We’re breaking it down below:
Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech? (50-300 Words)
Finally, some concise wording. Please note that the question says “specifically at Georgia Tech,” and that’s the most important part of the question. You can study pretty much anything, pretty much anywhere. And in most cases, you do not need to go to a certain school to obtain a specific degree. This is why research is key. Here’s what you should include:
A brief story about why you want to study X major. While there are some liberal arts offerings, Georgia Tech is primarily a technology-focused school. If you’re applying so that you can study Materials Science and Engineering, you better let them know why. The story doesn’t have to be huge, just think back to when you realized what your academic passions are. If you are applying to Georgia Tech to study say, Economics, connect the dots as to why you’re choosing to do so at a school that specializes in STEM.
Your intended major. You can find the list of degrees offered at Georgia Tech here. The students who we’ve worked with who are interested in Georgia Tech have been incredibly involved with STEM during high school. The offerings at Georgia Tech look different from other schools because you’ll find highly specialized degrees, and it is not the kind of list you can look through and “make something work.” If you are going to write about wanting to major in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, you should already be pursuing it right now. We do not say this to scare people away from the school but know that most students who are applying have been chipping away at their future goals throughout their high school career.
Two upper-level classes that you want to take. Next, look through the course catalogue and read through everything. Your job is to find two courses that you’d like to take. You have to pick 2000-3000 level courses because introductory courses are not specific to Georgia Tech and can be taken at most colleges. After you’ve honed in on the classes you want to take, you need a reason for wanting to take them. Think about the projects that you’ve done, classes you’ve taken, books you’ve read, and jobs and internships. Find a strong link between the subject matter of the course and your past experiences, and write about why you’d be a good fit for the class.
A professor who you’d like to do research with. We mentioned earlier that research is a huge component of life at Georgia Tech. While you’re on the homepage of your major, look into the professors. If you’re overwhelmed by reading through all of the biographies, sort by subject matter. There should be at least one professor who is doing work in your area of interest, and you should pitch yourself as their research assistant.
If there are any other opportunities that are specific to Georgia Tech, you can include that in your supplement as well. Now you have all of the hard facts, but your job is not done. Take a look at everything and find a creative way to turn it into a story about yourself. The best way to go about this is to weave details about Georgia Tech’s offerings with information about your background, which will show both what you’ll gain by attending and also what you’re bringing to campus.
All applicants must choose one of the two questions below:
Georgia Tech is committed to creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Tell us how you have improved or hope to improve the human condition in your community. (50-300 Words)
IMPORTANT: do not write about something that you hope to do. We all have aspirations, but we only suggest writing about accomplishments. The good news is that this question is fairly broad, which means that you can think big or small. The only requirement is that you write about something that has improved the human condition in your own community. Start by thinking about the communities you belong to. We’re willing to bet that there are many, a few examples that come to mind are your family, a special interest group, your friends, that text thread you started, or a team of any kind. If you want to think big, you could write about how you volunteered to start a composting program in your city apartment building or organized a neighborhood watch in your neighborhood. But don’t discount a more personal story, like teaching your elderly grandparent how to use FaceTime so that they could stay in touch with your family while the country was under quarantine.
The problem that you write about does not necessarily have to be solved by using technology, but if you have an example that does, it’s a good idea to go with that because you are applying to a tech school. But the goal is more to show you think critically and solve problems, so don’t worry if your fix didn’t involve a computer. Explain how you came to realize that a situation could be improved, what you did, and how things changed after you stepped in. And as always, your response should be in the form of a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
If you feel that your personal or community background can provide additional insight to your application that we have not already seen elsewhere, please take this opportunity to share that information with us. (50-300 Words)
When working with TKG clients, we would approach this prompt as a second (but shorter) common app essay. The question is vague and leaves a lot of breathing room, and is a good option for those who didn’t love the first prompt. With this question, Georgia Tech just wants to get to know you a little better so that they can bring in students from a variety of backgrounds.
Take a look at your application. We mean everything: grades, activities, letters of recommendation, common app essay, and the first prompt. What does Georgia Tech not know about you yet? If you had two great ideas for your common app essay, and it pained you to set one aside, you might revisit that work and see if you can draw inspiration from there.
Something that you shouldn’t do is use this space to write about an extracurricular activity that is listed on your common app account. They already know about those. Instead, think about a soft skill or personality trait that you’d like to highlight. It’s likely that the quality you would like to portray in some way stemmed from your “personal or community background,” which makes it a perfect fit for this prompt.
Let’s say you come up with three adjectives: adventurous, insightful, and empathetic. Brainstorm stories that exemplify those traits until you feel comfortable moving forward. Then, tell the story. Make the admissions team feel like they have a front-row seat to the action by dropping them into the story. Be generous with details and always keep your personality trait in mind.
Georgia Tech is a competitive school, and a solid supplement will prove that you researched the school and have what it takes to succeed on campus. Now that their supplement is out, it’s time to get to work.
If you need help, contact us here.