@shortnuke: I can’t speak as to UF or FSU; however, the Common Data Set for Georgia Tech, here, https://www.irp.gatech.edu/common-data-set, states in Section C7 that academic GPA and rigor of secondary school record are “very important” admissions factors, and thus are given more weight by the institution than standardized test scores and application essays, which are characterized as “important” admissions factors. When I attended an Open House at Georgia Tech last year, the Admissions Director, Rick Clark, also emphasized that GPA means more than standardized test scores to the Georgia Tech Admissions Office.