I would take the website as the most up-to-date information. If you read your pathway offer, it should say the semester of entry. If it works like other pathways this is non-negotiable. For example, the conditional transfer pathway recently moved its entry semester to the summer, and I know several people asked to enter in the fall instead and they were denied.
I wonder if whoever answered were confused about what you were asking. DE and AP can be used to satisfy the course requirements for transfer, but they cannot be used to satisfy the 30 hours per the website. Regular transfer does not have those limitations. That’s the thing about these conditional pathways. They are very strict on all matters and have to be followed to the letter, including semester of entry, or they no longer apply.
Basically they are a way to expand Georgia Tech without putting increased pressure on entry classes. This is why they specify certain classes must be taken and also why they designate the semester of entry. It’s an enrollment management tool.
Regular transfer is also an option but it is a competitive review of the application.