Georgia students are excited to learn that The University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, and all other Georgia institutions are test-optional for Fall 2021. Williams Educational Consultants attended The (virtual) Peach State Tour this week and heard from UGA, GA TECH, and GA STATE admissions officers. Students are invited too! This is a great way to learn more about these institutions. If you have not signed up, do so now as space is limited!
According to Rick Clark, "If you haven’t tested, don’t for GA TECH." Admissions officers will not penalize students for opting out of testing. For the latest information on Tech's admissions policy, visit their site. Rick Clark also suggested that their new President comes from a test-optional institution and is prepared for holistic reviews. In fact, the school has been holistically reviewing applicants prior to COVID. Sara Riggs answers a question by saying, "The reality is that over the past several years, we have already been focusing much less on standardized test scores. Our review process will not change." Students can apply to Tech via the Common Application.
The University of Georgia is also prepared to evaluate applicants holistically. Throughout the presentation in the Q&A tab, Kelly Bird posted that"UGA has pulled together a series of frequently-asked-questions to help. Additional information on what test optional means and the impact it will have on UGA admissions and review process." Click here for more information about UGA's admissions process regarding test-optional. Additionally, the University of Georgia is now accepting the Common Application which will be released on Tuesday, September 1st. UGA advises counselors regarding test-optional by saying, "it will be the student’s decision to apply with or without test scores. If the student is comfortable with their test scores, then they should submit them. However, no student will be penalized if they opt-out of submitting test scores."
Georgia State is one of the most diverse institutions in the state of Georgia and is also a proud member of the Common Application. GA State suggests that students will be evaluated on the important academic factors, such as "Core GPA (English, Math, Natural Science, Social Science, Foreign Language)." Georgia State University also shared a fun fact about their institution. Chris Briggs, also known as Ludacris, is a professor at Georgia State's Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) as an artist-in-residence. Professor Briggs has knowledge and experience in music, entertainment, business, and philanthropy. Georgia State is ranked in the top five for innovation and recognized for many of its 250 programs offered. For more information on how to apply to Georgia State visit their site.