HELP US DECIDE: Georgia Tech (Full Ride) VS Other Great Schools

College Life
21

Trying to make such a big life decision without in person visits is tough. Can you describe your D–likes and dislikes, what she would enjoy doing at college just for fun? Is she a social justice warrior, taking food to the homeless on the streets, or an introvert who will stay in her dorm room 24/7 ? Would she find a pick up game of Ultimate Frisbee on a sunny afternoon, or find local museums to tour in her free time? Is a social life important, Greek life, intramural team sports, the Ga Tech football games are a big deal on campus, lots of school spirit, does any of that interest your D ?

In and around Ga Tech, you can hang out and get the best greasy food at The Varsity, attend a play at Shakespeare’s Tavern, eat international cuisine, attend Dragon Con over Labor Day weekend, attend music concerts, and take advantage of one of the best Recreation Centers on a college campus (home of the 1996 Olympics for swimming).

You can escape to smaller towns in metro Atlanta via Marta trains, or drive to the Georgia mountains and get in some hiking. Stone Mountain Park is a huge draw for the area, and even now during the shelter in place, we are allowed to go there and hike the trails, some of them right by the lake. You can hike up Stone Mountain (the largest outcropping of Granite in the world) and when there is not a pandemic, there are restaurants, museum, attractions, laser shows at night in the summer. Six Flags over Georgia is a short drive from campus.

Double check on deadlines, I believe many schools are extending their decision deadlines. Admissions Offices should be able to connect your D with students in her major, to get more feel for daily life on each campus.

Also go to the colleges and universities Forum here on CC, and read posts about the schools you want to know more about.

I would say Ga Tech is your top bet on paper, and you should investigate MIT to see if the fit of that campus culture would have anything to offer your D above Ga Tech.

22

Thank you for all the specific life-style details and helpful advice! Those were really interesting and informative. D is into more music/arts. She is indeed involved in many aspects of activism, but she definitely still displays introversion and enjoys her alone time, especially when she gets into her studies. She said she visited the little pottery studio/shop and loved that, along with the spaces for making things. I believe both MIT and GTech seem to have comparable amounts of the things she enjoys.

We have moved a lot, and D always finds a nice group of friends, so we aren’t totally worried about the social life aspect of the schools. If she can’t find something, she will likely start it.

She is not much of a partier and has no plans of rushing. D is also from a school with very little school pride (maybe 5 people, tops, attend football games), but has said that is something she may want to experience, though it’s ultimately not essential.

I have heard that Atlanta can be a little dangerous. Can I ask if you have any experience or insight on that?

23

I would like to private message with you, but you will need to post more replies on this thread before that can happen, since you are new to this forum.

So I will post some general things now, and am glad to give more details later.

Atlanta is a typical downtown city, with homeless problems, some muggings, and Ga Tech has an open campus. Reality is crime happens everywhere.

Students who can maintain an awareness of their surroundings, and make wise choices in daily life are going to be fine.

Off campus apartments are more likely to have break ins than on campus dorm rooms.

Check out campus crime statistics for each of the colleges your D is thinking about attending.

24

MIT v. Stamps at GTech would be really tough, because MIT is arguably the best tech school in the world, with resources even GTech can’t match. On the other hand, Stamps would open many doors.

25

The stamps and also the diversity of other majors and campus life would tilt to Ga Tech for me. A female stamps scholar with a engineering degree from ga tech and 80k for your family leftover is a winning combination. She will write her own ticket. She’ll also have a bit more fun. This is of course a tough choice and just an opinion.

26

Has your D asked Ga Tech to connect her with a couple of recent Stamps scholars? I think a phone conversation or zoom call with a current Stamps scholar might give her a more in depth understanding of what being in that community will do to support her.

Finding a solid community wherever you attend is an important factor in your success and your enjoyment of your college experience.

At MIT, what will your D’s experience be like? What opportunities will she have to connect with professors, recruiting fairs, study abroad, etc. ? I assume she will be more on her own to reach out to professors, build relationships that will help her get internships and such.

At Ga Tech, she will be on retreat before school starts with 39 other Stamps scholars who are her peers. Half of these scholars will be Georgia residents, so she will have some more local contacts, as well as friends from other states.

Before classes begin, she will connect with a community of like-minded peers. Community can be a huge factor in success for college students. Finding your tribe in a sea of students can take time and effort. Ga Tech is offering a great Community experience for your D.

27

full ride at GT is amazing and would be a pretty big missed opportunity, but i understand where you are coming from. i do agree though that GT will open any door for her as it is extremely respected in all schools of engineering. if she is mostly concerned about her experience though, as a student there, it is not the happiest school and it can be hard to make friends. but there are ways to combat that by joining greek life/clubs.

28

@neenieb, you need to check the posting dates! The OP will have made the decision a while back

29

closing thread.