does georgia college require an essay

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Georgia College and State University Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are Georgia College and State University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Georgia College and State University and build a strong application.

School location: Milledgeville, GA

Admissions Rate: 80%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Georgia College and State University is 80% . For every 100 applicants, 80 are admitted.

This means the school is lightly selective . The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don't meet Georgia College and State University's requirements, you'll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.

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Georgia College and State University GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.58

The average GPA at Georgia College and State University is 3.58 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.58, Georgia College and State University requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Georgia College and State University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Georgia College and State University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Georgia College and State University SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1152

The average SAT score composite at Georgia College and State University is a 1152 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Georgia College and State University Competitive for SAT test scores.

Georgia College and State University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1070, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1230. In other words, a 1070 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1230 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

Georgia College and State University ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Georgia College and State University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 24

The average ACT score at Georgia College and State University is 24. This score makes Georgia College and State University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 21, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 26.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 21 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Georgia College and State University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 21.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Georgia College and State University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is lightly selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don't fall well below average . Aim for a 1070 SAT or a 21 ACT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission. As long as you meet the rest of the application requirements below, you'll be a shoo-in.

But if you score below our recommended target score, you may be one of the very few unlucky people to get rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
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• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
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There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Georgia College and State University here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Accepted, supplemental forms required
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for some freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $40
• Fee Waiver Available? Not available
• Other Notes Proof of immunization required for freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests Optional
• Scores Due in Office April 1

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 2
• Social Studies 3

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes April 1 Rolling
• Yes October 15 December 1

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 231 Milledgeville, GA 31061
• Phone: (478) 445-5004 x5004
• Fax: (478) 445-6795
• Email: [email protected]

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Georgia College and State University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Georgia College and State University.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Georgia College and State University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Georgia College and State University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Georgia College and State University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Georgia College and State University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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2 Great Georgia State Essay Examples by Accepted Students

Georgia State is one of the most desirable universities in the state, due to its expansive academic offerings, excellent reputation for research, and location in Atlanta, the state’s capital. To give you a sense for what Georgia State’s admissions officers are looking for, we’ve collected two examples of essays submitted by students who ended up being accepted.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay Example 1 – 10 Minutes, 10 Million People

“She reveled in the comfort that reading brought her, as she knew that in the end, the characters would always have a happy ending: no surprises, no secrets, no lies, just love.” This is a line from a fan fiction I wrote when I was fifteen. Not to say that my writing is Pulitzer-Prize-worthy or anything, but I feel that teen fantasy authors are often reduced to basic grammatical mistakes and cringe-worthy, one-dimensional plots. Especially with fan fiction authors being predominantly female, girls within fandom spaces will often be ostracized and shamed for enjoying the same things as a male demographic. 

The double-edged sword of women and literature decrees that if one reads romance books outside of the intellectual sphere, they “aren’t a real reader,” but if they only like “the classics,” they’re a “fake.” Being “real” or “fake,” as a notion, has taken on an entirely different meaning in fandom spaces. No matter what a woman does, scrutiny is sure to follow.

The countless number of times young girls will be interrogated with, “You like that book? Name three others by the same author,” or “I bet you like that game for attention from men,” is truly disheartening. Even more, with writing, women are often not taken seriously, historically even feeling inclined to abbreviate or use pen names to pass off as men. This is not to say all men perpetuate this toxicity, nor that women do not, but rather it is prevalent enough that girls are often discouraged from enjoying things or become a joke for doing so.

As someone who enjoys writing, myself, I know this struggle all too well. When I was younger, the criticism discouraged me so much that I kept my interests to myself. I still struggle with this from time to time, but I have since grown and pursued creative writing for my own enjoyment, as well as conducting research with the traditionally male entertainment form: superhero films.

It goes beyond the idea of femininity in society but even to the very nature of humanity itself. I remember sitting in my economics class, listening to the teacher speaking, saying, “No one would ever work for free.” Anytime anyone says anything along those lines, they negate the influence of thousands of teenage girls who craft entire universes solely from the devotion they carry in their hearts, and I hope that one day, they will be recognized for what they truly are: passionate visionaries rather than shallow fanatics.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay’s greatest strength is actually very simple: the writer has chosen a topic that she is clearly actually passionate about. With less structured prompts, that don’t fit one of the common supplemental prompt archetypes, there can be a temptation to go out of your way to impress admissions officers, rather than just being honest. But with this prompt, the most important thing to do is select a topic that you truly “care deeply about,” as that’s the only way the essay is going to feel genuine and natural.

The writer’s personal investment in the topic is apparent from the very first line, when she explicitly connects the topic to herself. That also allows her to then make some more general points, that show her overall thoughts about this topic, without those points feeling vague or irrelevant, as readers understand she’s drawing from her own personal experience.

For example, say the essay instead started with the line “The double-edged sword of women and literature decrees that if one reads romance books outside of the intellectual sphere, they ‘aren’t a real reader,’ but if they only like ‘the classics,’ they’re a ‘fake.’” While the topic is still an engaging one, there’s no personal framing for it, so admissions officers may initially be confused about what they’re supposed to be learning about the applicant. Particularly in supplemental essays, where your space is more limited, you never want to create that kind of confusion–your personal connection to your topic should be clear throughout.

In addition to immediately establishing this personal connection, the writer includes creative, thoughtful points about her topic that show she has strong critical thinking skills. Lines like “women are often not taken seriously, historically even feeling inclined to abbreviate or use pen names to pass off as men” and “this is not to say all men perpetuate this toxicity, nor that women do not” demonstrate she can think deeply about a topic, and consider multiple perspectives, both skills which are crucial to success in college.

What Could Be Improved 

While the writer’s personal investment in her topic is clear, what’s less clear is what she has learned about herself, or which personality traits she has developed, as a result of her love of fanfiction. 

She hints at this kind of growth with the lines “When I was younger, the criticism discouraged me so much that I kept my interests to myself. I still struggle with this from time to time, but I have since grown and pursued creative writing for my own enjoyment…” but her readers don’t get much elaboration. Perhaps rule #1 for the college essay is “show, don’t tell,” and these lines, while informative, are very tell-y.

A stronger way of making her point would be to describe a moment or experience that will give admissions officers a more concrete sense of how this transformation occurred. For example, after saying “I kept my interests to myself,” she could say something like “In third grade, I wrote three chapters of a Harry Potter fanfiction, but when I showed my friends at school, they laughed at me and asked me what the point was, because my efforts would never be as good as the actual books.” 

With this addition, her readers have a more detailed understanding of her state of mind at this point in her life, and a similar example from the present would help them see how she’s grown since then. While the word count is always a factor, this writer is 40 words under the count. Plus, these specific anecdotes are important enough that it would be worth making cuts from elsewhere in the essay in order to include them.

Essay Example 2 – Extracurricular Essay

When I was in ninth grade, I volunteered at a legal foundation where attorneys provide free legal services to victims of domestic violence. I initially volunteered because I wanted to observe the legal profession at work, as it was a profession I was and still am passionate about pursuing. However, once I was there, I realized that I was observing a much greater force at work. 

My job was simple; I was to scan and file old case files. But, as I was tasked with copious amounts of files, I quickly realized the extent to which domestic violence impacts people. 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, have been victims of domestic violence. While I was familiar with domestic violence before, this experience was eye-opening.

Domestic violence is a major issue within today’s society, and victims often feel uncomfortable with reporting. Services like the foundation I volunteered at help make legal aid more accessible, which can help victims feel more comfortable reporting their abuse. 

Domestic violence is an issue that I have thought about since this experience. When I started my true crime podcast as a sophomore, I wanted to spread awareness about domestic violence and its prevalence in criminal investigations. I allocated specific episodes to research cases where domestic violence resulted in a more escalated crime. This includes the stories of lesser-known victims such as Evelyn Colon and Kathleen Peterson. 

Further, this experience encouraged me to consider doing pro bono work in the future. I want to pursue a career in the legal field, and I want to work to make a difference in the lives of domestic violence victims. Free legal aid can help deter abusers and assist victims in leaving dangerous situations. Ultimately, this brief volunteer experience made a major impact on my future goals and altered the way in which I consider domestic violence.

The most important thing in any college essay is to show how an interest or experience has impacted your personal growth, and that’s especially true when responding to this prompt, which, in addition to fitting the “Extracurricular” archetype, explicitly asks you to describe an “activity…that has changed your view on a particular social issue.”

This essay does a phenomenal job of showing the writer’s growth. We see the writer go from a general interest in legal work, and the “simple” task of scanning files, to developing a sophisticated understanding of the social issue of domestic violence in particular, and a desire to channel their legal ambitions towards improving this issue.

Additionally, the writer reflects thoughtfully on the impact of their own actions, while also acknowledging the scale of the issue. With this kind of essay, you don’t need to make it sound like you solved world hunger–if anything, overstating what you did can make you sound ignorant about the complexity of a major issue. At the same time, though, you don’t want to sell yourself short.

This writer does a great job of striking the right balance here. Lines like “Services like the foundation I volunteered at help make legal aid more accessible, which can help victims feel more comfortable reporting their abuse” demonstrate the importance of the writer’s volunteer work, while also recognizing that this work is only part of the solution.

Finally, the writer describes how their volunteer work has influenced their life as a whole, by telling us about how they used their podcast to raise awareness about little-known domestic violence crimes. One of the main reasons the college essay exists is so that admissions officers can see whether or not you’re genuinely passionate about your interests and activities, or only doing them to pad your resume. 

In this essay, we see that the writer’s dedication to helping victims of domestic violence is indeed genuine, as they have used their free time to continue building on their initial volunteer work. We also get a sense for how their experiences around this issue connect to their goals for the future, with lines like “this experience encouraged me to consider doing pro bono work in the future.” While the prompt doesn’t explicitly ask for that, colleges want to accept motivated, proactive students, and this kind of reflection shows the writer possesses these qualities.

While supplemental essays are often a little more formulaic than the personal statement, you still want to show, rather than tell, as much as possible–in other words, use examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points, rather than just telling them to your reader. Unfortunately, this essay is quite tell-y, particularly at the beginning.

That means that, although the writer’s points are good ones, their rather dry presentation takes away some of their weight. For example, think about if this essay instead started off with a description of an actual moment from the writer’s volunteer work, like:

“My hands were full of papercuts from rifling through old domestic violence files all day and my eyes were sore from the light of the scanner, but my mind was crackling with a newfound appreciation for the value of pro bono legal work.”

This hook uses sensory details to show, rather than simply tell, us what the writer is thinking and feeling. As a result, we readers are immediately engaged in the story, whereas with the original version, the essay takes a few lines to get into the swing of things.

Along the same lines, you want your word choice, and overall writing style, to capture your emotions, not simply describe what happened. While clarity is of course important, at some points this essay feels a little too factual. 

For example, the line “Domestic violence is an issue that I have thought about since this experience” is incredibly vague. We’re all always thinking about tons of different things, from getting Taylor Swift tickets to avoiding traffic on the way home. So the writer just saying they “have thought” about domestic violence doesn’t actually teach us anything about them, or their knowledge of this issue.

Even some slight changes here would go a long way towards making this line more informative. For example, the writer could say “Domestic violence is an issue that I have been dedicated to helping fix since this experience,” or “Since this experience, I have been devastated by the lack of awareness around domestic violence.” Both of these alternatives give us a much clearer, more specific idea of how the writer’s thinking about this issue was shaped by their volunteer work, which also provides a better set-up for their description of their podcast work.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay 

Want feedback on your Georgia State essay before you submit? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Undergraduate Admission

• Application Review Process
• Academic Preparation
• Standardized Tests
• Contribution to Community

Personal Essays

• Recommendations
• Interview for International Applicants
• Major Selection
• Institutional Fit

The purpose of the essays is to assess your writing ability and, most importantly, to learn more about you as an individual. This portion of the application helps us get to know you, assess mutual fit, and better understand what you could contribute to Georgia Tech.

Application Essay Prompts

Below are the Georgia Tech essay questions for 2024 applications. Both prompts are required of all applicants.

• Common Application Personal Essay: First-year applicants will choose one of seven essay prompts provided by Common App.
• Georgia Tech Short-Answer Question (max 300 words): Why do you want to study your chosen major, and why do you want to study that major at Georgia Tech?

Start Your Essays

What Are We Looking for in Your Essays?

Essays are evaluated for both content and writing/grammatical skills. So, before submitting your application, you should take the time to edit and review your essays thoroughly. Strong essays include traits that:

• Demonstrate authenticity & self-awareness.
• Demonstrate thoughtfulness.
• Display attention to topic, style, and grammar.
• Demonstrate a student's thoughtfulness about why Georgia Tech, specifically, is a fit for them and how their goals align with Georgia Tech’s Values . The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university established by the state of Georgia in Atlanta in 1885 and committed to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.

Our Advice for this Portion of the Application

• Get started early. Don’t wait until the last minute to complete your essays!
• Write and edit your essay in a document editor. Once you have the final draft, you can cut and paste it into your online application.
• Don’t write what you think we want to read. Write what you want to say!
• Don’t blow off the essay! We wouldn’t ask you to write it if we didn’t find it to be an important way to get to know you, and what you could bring to Georgia Tech.
• In the same way you would not copy directly from any other source you may incorporate into the writing process, you should not copy and paste directly out of any AI platform or submit work that you did not originally create. Instead, approach and consider any interaction with an AI tool as a learning experience that may help you generate ideas, provide alternative phrasing options, and organize your thoughts. Ultimately, we want to read and hear your unique and valuable writing style.

Per Georgia state law and Georgia Tech policy , all admission staff are mandatory reporters who are required by law to report suspected abuse or neglect of minors to appropriate authorities. Any statements in written materials, including anywhere in a student’s application or supporting materials, that give admission staff reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 18 may have occurred must be reported to the Georgia Tech Police Department. Learn more about reporting requirements .

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64 Great Colleges That Don't Require Essays to Apply

College Info , College Essays

If the thought of writing a college essay fills you with terror, you might be wondering: are there any colleges that don't require essays?

The answer is yes, there are! This guide will give you an overview of colleges that don't require admissions essays, how to find these schools, and whether you should apply to one or not. We'll wrap up with a list of 64 colleges with no essay requirement that you can apply to.

Why Do Some Colleges Not Require an Essay?

In general, college essays help schools get a sense of you as a person—beyond your academic record, GPA, and test scores. They give you a chance to clearly articulate your goals and also give admissions officers a better idea of how you'll fit within the school's community. Finally, essays are helpful because they provide schools with concrete evidence of your writing ability.

However, there are many colleges that don't require essays for admissions. What are some reasons why? Let's take a look at the three biggest ones:

#1: Limited Resources

It takes a lot of admissions officers' time and energy to read and evaluate college essays.

At smaller schools with fewer resources, and even at larger schools that enroll tens of thousands of students, the resource costs associated with reading each essay for every single student might outweigh the benefits of getting additional information on applicants beyond GPAs, test scores, and transcripts.

Schools sometimes balance these concerns by requiring essays only for the most competitive programs (usually things such as engineering and nursing) or for scholarships, for which the additional information might be more instrumental in making decisions.

They need to use those limited resources for coffee.

#2: Specific Admissions Cutoffs/Criteria

Many colleges, particularly public schools, admit students based on a type of selection index, which tabulates some combination of GPA, test scores, and/or class rank.

If students meet the minimum index score cutoff, they will be admitted. In this case, the school might simply feel that additional information from an essay isn't necessary for making a decision regarding whether a student will be successful or not.

Selection indices are also often different for in-state and out-of-state students, with the latter being subject to more stringent academic criteria.

In addition, the selection index is sometimes used for scholarships, with students with higher index scores being awarded more money.

Schools with selection indices do often require or recommend college essays for borderline candidates so that students can provide additional information on why they'd be a good fit at the school in spite of not meeting the stated academic criteria.

#3: Make Admissions Process Easy and Appealing

Some colleges hope that by making the admissions process easy and requiring only a transcript, test scores, and basic demographic information, they'll attract a wider variety of applicants.

By presenting their application process as a simple alternative to more intensive processes that require letters of recommendation, essays, and so on, they can attract students who are on the fence about applying to college at all .

They could even potentially motivate highly qualified applicants to use them as one of their safety or match schools because the students won't need to write additional essays or do extra work to apply.

Some applications seem like you just have to click to apply!

How to Find Colleges That Don't Require Essays

There are over 4,000 postsecondary educational institutions in the US, and over 80 of these schools don't require essays for admission.

If you want to know whether a particular school requires an essay for admission, Google "[School Name] freshman admission requirements" or "[School Name] admissions essay." This should pull up pages from the school's official website, with links to guidelines on admission essays.

If, however, you're looking more generally for schools that don't require essays, you can check out our  list of 64 schools below or try one of the following starting places:

Public Universities in Your State

A significant number of public universities don't require essays for admissions.

Even if the major public schools in your state (such as the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign or UCLA) require essays for admission, you might find that the smaller campuses and smaller or more specialized state schools  might not require essays. So be sure to check those out!

You can actually get a pretty robust list of schools in your state by simply Googling "[State Name] colleges." Do this and a list of colleges will appear across the top of your screen. Thanks, Google!

Schools With Automatic Admissions Criteria

A school that has criteria for automatic admission (e.g., if you live in-state and have a particular class rank, GPA, and/or test score profile) might not require applicants who meet the automatic criteria to submit essays with their applications.

However, don't assume that just because you meet automatic admissions criteria that you won't need to write an essay.

At UT Austin, for example, all students must submit an essay , regardless of whether they meet the automatic admissions criteria. Although you could probably write just a straightforward paragraph in the essay section and still get admitted (since you meet the criteria), you'd likely be hurting your scholarship potential, not to mention jeopardizing your chances of being let into your desired major.

Small Private Liberal Arts Institutions

Another group of schools that might not require essays are smaller, private liberal arts institutions. These types of schools often serve a fairly niche market and might simply not get a high enough application volume to need essays to differentiate applicants.

Community Colleges

Local community colleges do not require essays for enrollment, since most allow anyone to enroll. Some even have automatic transfer agreements with local four-year universities. However, if you want to transfer to a particular four-year university after you finish at a community college, you might very well have to write an essay—so you could just be putting off the inevitable!

You can find a lot of no-essay colleges for your basket!

Complete List: 64 Colleges That Don't Require Essays

The following chart contains 64 colleges with no essay requirement, organized by state.  

Note that these are far from the only no-essay college applications —just some of the most notable. Follow our guidelines above for finding additional essay-free colleges.

Should You Apply to a College That Doesn't Require an Essay?

If you're reading this article, you're clearly worried about writing application essays for one reason or another. Maybe you're concerned about having enough time to finish everything. Or maybe you think your writing is terrible.

Here are some reasons to write college essays in spite of your misgivings:

#1: You Want to Apply to the Most Selective Schools

If you're hoping to apply to the most selective schools , you'll almost certainly have to write at least one essay. The most highly ranked no-essay school that I could find was the University of Pittsburgh—a great school. But if you're going for UChicago , MIT , Stanford , or an Ivy League-level school , you'll have to write an essay.

#2: You Want a Scholarship

Even if you do apply to a school that doesn't require an essay, you might still have to write an essay if you want to apply for the most competitive scholarships .

#3: You Have Special Circumstances to Explain

If you have any kind of special circumstance to explain—say, a dip in your grades one year due to a family illness—you definitely want to write about it in an essay. This will help you compensate for any perceived deficits in your academic record and also prevent you from being penalized in the admissions process for the vagaries of life.

There's value in telling your story to the admissions committee.

#4: You're a Good Writer

I'm thinking that most strong writers are going to actively want to write college essays, but just in case: if writing is one of your strengths, definitely write an essay. You want to show off your best qualities to admissions officers, after all! If your primary concern is time, use something like the Common Application so you don't have to write a new essay for every school.

#5: The Essay Prompt Is Short

Some college essays are barely essays at all. Some required essays have just a 250-word limit, and 500 words is pretty standard. For reference, the first section of this article—"Why Do Some Colleges Not Require Essays?"—is about 450 words, including sub-headings. That's not so bad!

#6: You Can Get Help

Although it's important that your college essays are your own work, you're allowed to get help with them! Colleges expect you to put your best foot forward, so if that means discussing ideas with parents and teachers, and having someone else look over your rough drafts and offer suggestions, that's completely fine. You don't have to go at it completely alone.

#7: You Can Reuse an Essay for All Your Schools

For schools that use the Common App , Coalition App , or Universal College App , you can generally use one essay for all your colleges. Some schools might require additional supplemental essays, though, so be sure to look that up in advance to avoid being blindsided later.

So Should I Write an Essay?

If it happens that all the schools you want to apply to don't require essays, then great! But overall, I'd say don't let the fact that a school has one (or even two) essays stop you from applying if you're genuinely interested in going there.

If you find writing essays stressful or if you're time-limited, there's nothing wrong with using some strategies to limit the number of polished essays you need to produce (such as using the Common App) and applying to a mix of essay and no-essay schools.

Key Takeaways: Colleges That Don't Require Essays

There are actually tons of colleges that don't require essays. Here are some common reasons why a college might not require an essay:

• Limited resources—it takes a lot of time and effort to read an essay by each applicant
• They might have certain GPA and/or test score admissions criteria and feel as though the information provided by an essay isn't necessary
• To make it more appealing to students by having an easier application process

So how can you find college applications without essays? Here are some places to start:

• Public schools in your state, especially smaller ones in case the bigger ones do require essays
• Schools with automatic admissions criteria—if you qualify for admission, you might not need to write an essay
• Smaller liberal arts institutions
• Community colleges

When it comes down to it, though, should you apply to colleges with no essay requirement? Here are some reasons you might want to write a college essay, even if you're apprehensive:

• The most selective colleges usually do require essays
• Scholarship applications for particular schools often require essays
• If you have special circumstances to explain, plan on writing an essay
• Strong writers should write essays to put their best foot forward
• Word limits are often very short—think 250-500 words (that's just a few paragraphs!)
• You're allowed (and encouraged) to get help with brainstorming ideas and revising drafts
• If you use an application system that can send applications to multiple schools, such as the Common App, Coalition App, or Universal College App, you might be able to write just one essay for all the schools you're applying to

No essay, no tears!

What's Next?

Need more help looking for colleges? See our step-by-step guide to college research . Also, check out how to decide where to go to college and the difference between a college and a university !

Decided to write an essay after all and need some help? Check out our comprehensive guide to writing a college essay and our guide to writing the "why this college" essay . Be sure to avoid these 10 college essay mistakes , too.

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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• Made by History

How the College Application Essay Became So Important

S chool is out and summer is here. Yet future high school seniors and their families are likely already thinking about applying to college — a process that can be as labor-intensive and time-consuming as it is confusing. Students submit SAT scores, grades, references, personal essays, and more, often without a clear sense of what counts most.

The challenges facing college applicants today aren’t new. For over a century, Americans seeking higher education have had to navigate complicated admissions requirements including exams and grades as well as qualitative metrics of assessment, such as references, interviews, and essays.

Collecting so much academic and personal information has given colleges and universities greater control over the kinds of students they admit. In the first half of the 20th century, this information was mainly used to bar some applicants based on race, gender, and religion. Since the social movements of the 1960s and 70s, however, it has been used to do nearly the opposite by expanding access to previously excluded groups. In this process, personal essays have been especially valuable for the unique insights they can offer into applicants’ backgrounds and perspectives. In the context of today’s narrowing national diversity agenda, they are key to promoting inclusion in American higher education.

In the late 19th century, college admission standards were relatively low in America, even at the “Big Three” private universities, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. In an era when few Americans had more than an eighth-grade education, and even fewer could afford the cost of higher education, there was little competition for admission. Applicants needed only to pass subject matter exams, tests that were rudimentary and could be taken repeatedly until passed. Even those who failed their entrance exams might be admitted if they had elite standing and could pay tuition.

Read More: How to Talk About Race on College Applications, According to Admissions Experts

By the turn of the 20th century, however, demand for higher education was growing. Colleges worked intentionally to admit a broader range of students, dropping archaic requirements like knowledge of Latin and Greek that had previously barred all but the most privileged high school students from applying. More and more qualified applicants competed for fewer available spots, which meant that colleges and universities could be more selective. 

But with more applicants passing exams and earning entry to higher education, private universities became increasingly concerned about the demographics of their student bodies. By the 1910s, as immigration increased, and more public high schools were better preparing students of all backgrounds to meet private entrance requirements, rising numbers of Jewish students were landing spots at the historically Protestant and upper-class universities. With antisemitism on the rise, many private colleges adopted new metrics of admission that could be used to limit the number of “undesirable” students, especially Jewish ones. 

It was at this juncture that selective colleges introduced the application essay to assess students for the amorphous category of "fit." Applications in general became much more involved and intrusive. 

For instance, beginning in 1919, Columbia required prospective students to complete an eight-page form, submit a photo, list their mother’s maiden name, and provide information about their religious background. Even standardized tests could be used to screen students by cultural background. Early entrance exams were heavily biased toward American customs and colloquialisms, putting first-generation immigrants at a disadvantage.

In the wake of World War II, the passage of the GI Bill created a surge in demand for higher education across the country. Between 1950 and 1970, enrollment in colleges and universities in the U.S. nearly quadrupled. 

Although public and private universities expanded in response, they still came under new pressures to bolster selective criteria that would allow them to limit the growth of their student bodies. To ensure spots for students long considered the natural recipients of higher education — especially white, middle-class, Protestant men — private colleges continued to use quotas and other forms of preference such as legacy status to effectively limit the numbers of Jewish students, people of color, and women admitted. Meanwhile, admissions were far from need blind; applying for a scholarship could damage your chance of acceptance.

Public universities like the University of California, Berkeley charted a different course. In the post-war period, the UC system admitted all students who met basic requirements — graduation from an accredited high school along with a principal's recommendation, acceptance by exam, or completion of an Associate’s degree. But public universities now also faced more demand than they could accommodate. Indeed, the 1960s California Master Plan for Higher Education acknowledged that state universities, too, might well have to introduce a selective process for choosing applicants in the face of expanded access across much wider class, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds. 

By the 1960s, a selective application process became common across major private and public universities. But the social movements of the 1960s and 70s forced private universities to drop their formal practices of discrimination and changed the use of personal essays and other qualitative metrics of evaluation in the process. 

For the first time, in the 1960s, admissions officers at historically white and Protestant universities acknowledged that applicants’ academic profiles were deeply shaped by the opportunities — educational, economic, and cultural — available to them, and that these in turn were shaped by students’ race, ethnicity, and sex. 

While special considerations about background had once been used to systematically exclude minorities, in the 1960s they were invoked for the first time to do the opposite, albeit with some striking limitations. 

By looking at applicants from a comprehensive standpoint, which included these markers of identity, even the most selective private universities made major strides in achieving racial diversity in this period. They also dropped quotas and began to admit women on an equal basis with men. Class diversity, however, was another matter — to this day private universities continue to be comparatively socio-economically homogenous despite meaningful shifts in other areas. 

Since the 1970s, the admissions system has only grown increasingly competitive, with more students than ever before applying to college. That forced universities to choose between strong applicants while building their own brands and competitive profiles. This competitive environment has turned the college application essay into a particularly important vehicle in the admissions process for learning about students’ backgrounds and human qualities.

Read More: How the End of Affirmative Action Could Affect the College Admissions Process

In 1975, a small group of mostly East Coast colleges came together to form the Common App — today used by more than 1,000 universities. The Common App led the way in formulating what we now think of as the personal statement, aimed at understanding the inner world of each student.

For more than 50 years now, universities both private and public have evaluated essays for a range of qualities including leadership capacity, creativity, service to the community, and ability to overcome hardship, as part of their admissions decisions. The kinds of questions universities ask, the qualities they seek, and the responses they receive have changed many times and have been shaped by the cultural trends of our times. 

In 2021 for example, following the spread of a global pandemic, the Common App introduced a question about gratitude for the first time. And while the prompts remained unchanged following the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. (SFFA) v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and SFFA v. University of North Carolina , which formally excluded race as a factor in admissions, universities began to read them for the role of race, ethnicity, and other identities in students’ profiles. In these and many other ways, the essay has only gained value as a way for students to explain the important ways their experiences and identities have shaped their academic profiles.

Still, there have been calls to eliminate the college essay from admissions requirements from both the right and the left, as either frivolously inclusive, or potentially exclusionary. Now, at a time when there are major political constraints on supporting diversity and inclusion at the national level, personal essays give admissions committees important flexibility. They also allow colleges to evaluate students for underrated but essential intellectual and personal qualities hard to observe elsewhere, including the capacity for growth, self-reflection, and awareness of the world around them. 

The history of modern admissions shows how institutions of higher education have sought to engineer their classes, often reinforcing harmful racial, class, and gender hierarchies. There is little objectivity in the metric of “fit” that has shaped American admissions practices. But the Civil Rights era has had a powerful and long-lasting legacy in broadening access through an assessment of applicants that is attentive to identity. However flawed the system, the essay offers something no other metric can: an account of a student’s lived experience, in their own words.

Sarah Stoller is a writer and historian. She also tutors college essay writing.

Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here . Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors .

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Write to Sarah Stoller / Made by History at [email protected]

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, does georgia tech require an essay.

I've got my eyes set on applying to Georgia Tech soon, and I'm trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. Are there any essay requirements for Georgia Tech applicants? I'd like to start working on them asap if there are.

Yes, Georgia Tech does require applicants to submit essays as part of their application. For the 2023-2024 application cycle, Georgia Tech had one required short answer question, with a word limit of 300 words for each. The prompt is as follows:

1. Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech?

Keep in mind that the prompt can change from year to year, or new prompts may be added, so while you can certainly start brainstorming, I'd recommend waiting until August 1st to start actually writing. That's when the prompts for the coming applications cycle will be released, and you don't want to have any hard work go to waste if the prompts change.

If you want to start getting a sense of what Georgia Tech looks for in their supplemental essay(s), check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-georgia-tech-essays/. This post will also be updated with any changes to the prompt, so I'd recommend bookmarking it for easy access later this summer!

Good luck with your application to Georgia Tech!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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What to avoid in college application essays | College Connection

An important part of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, is the personal essay. Students are given six options as prompts, as well as a seventh option which is to share an essay on a topic of choice.  So, students can write about anything at all.

The essay is an integral part of the application, as it is typically viewed by all the schools to which a student applies.  It is the one section where students have the opportunity to share what is unique about them and what qualities they will bring to their future college community.

To make their essay stand out, students should avoid some common pitfalls.

Do not cheat. That means students should not turn to ChatGPT or to another person  to write their essay. This should go without saying but, sadly, it does need to be said. College admissions officers know what the “voice” of a teenager sounds like, and that’s exactly what they’re looking for.

More: Top colleges where 'B' students are accepted | College Connection

Do not write about mental health issues. Although many young people, as well as those in every age group, deal with such issues, it is important not to share that information. Due to privacy laws, colleges are not able to contact parents if students struggle with depression, substance abuse, or any other troubling behavior. Therefore, students should not raise a red flag, or they will most likely find their applications in the “rejected” pile.

Do not be redundant. One’s personal essay is not the place to itemize the extracurricular, volunteer, and work experiences that are all included in the Activities section of the Common App. If there is one activity that dominated a student’s high school experience and is particularly compelling, it can be the topic of the essay. But students must elaborate on how they were profoundly impacted by their engagement. 

More: How where you live affects your college admissions chances | College Connection

Do not recycle successful essays that were submitted by prior applicants. Often, students turn to the multitude of articles showcasing essays written by students who were admitted to Ivy League and other elite institutions. What worked for a prior student will not be effective for another as it’s not their story. It’s vital for students to share their genuine story using their authentic voice.   The key to writing a thoughtful, introspective essay is to start early, carefully consider the story you want to share, and then do so in your very own style.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT ® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362 .

Supplemental Essay

How many supplemental essays does Georgia have an how long is the essay? (and topic if you know)?

I see you’ve posted this question about multiple universities. Why haven’t you googled this for yourself?

I found this in 5 seconds… “UGA supplemental essays”

thank you for you comments and response. smh

Don’t shake your head. It’s a fair question. These colleges seek individuals of all backgrounds and interests but resourcefulness is one trait everyone will need amongst top students.

If you can’t find easily locatable info (either on the web or through the common app portal), perhaps you’re not right for the school.

right i am asking if Georgia requires a supplemental essay. if i knew i wouldn’t have asked the question. there is lots of info on the web and its confusing… a simple yes with the link would be nice… isn’t this for people who might not know… you can google almost every question asked on this forum but doesn’t mean we cant ask people on the forum who have been through it

Love the UGA admissions blog… and the Rocky Horror picture made me so curious I had to click! Thanks for posting the link.

@jhmoney if you are confused by what you read on the web, you can always go to the Common App, add the school to your list, and see what they actually ask on the application. Note that for some schools, the supplemental essay prompts will not show up until you fill out some of the easy stuff such as your desired campus, major, whether you want to apply to Honors, etc.

Sorry. Read your first question. That’s what people answered.

Everyone is trying to help - telling you to learn to help yourself first. And giving you tips….website and common app to get there.

But you got the response you did because of what/how you asked in the first message.

But in fairness the article you provided says 4 minutes reading time. Perhaps OP was looking for a synopsis😀

just wanted to know if there is one and how long yes…

understood but I am. parent not a student… no access to the common app

Fair enough. I wouldn’t have thought as much of it except the exact same question was posted for multiple colleges at the same time.

I was in a rush but provided a link to the info and a message that was probably too direct. However, providing a link is all I’d ever do for this type question to be honest. I’m not going to first read then type up a summary for something quick and simple. I will direct to a source of information.

But I should have explained to the OP the importance of taking ownership of the college application process and doing a little legwork.

You can sign up for the common app as a parent. Go to this page and select the last option (“Parent or other adult”) to create a practice account: Common App

A practice account lets you explore the Common App and see everything colleges are asking. You just can’t submit an application with a practice account.

The UGA admissions blog is in my top three favorites! David Graves is fantastic and SO TRANSPARENT about the UGA application process. Additionally he answers questions asked in the blog comments in a timely manner (or will direct you to the FAQ if it’s obvious time wasn’t taken to first look around at the available information).

It looks like your daughter was accepted EA to UGA and you commented that their communication was great . Do you have access to any of the resources from when she applied?

yes the best of any school…

thank you… all good!

First-Year Student

PICK YOUR PREFERENCE

Our fall 2025 freshman application is now open. Apply through GA Futures beginning July 1 and Common App beginning August 1.

Prospective first-year students must meet all admission requirements, including satisfactory completion of the Required High School Curriculum and all other requested documentation.

The Common Application

The Common App makes it easy for first-time freshman to apply to multiple colleges and universities at one time.

Early Action Deadline: October 15

GA Futures Application

The GA Futures application is open to first-year students.

NOTE: Spring Semester Applicants must use the GA Futures Application.

Early Action  is an accelerated college application process in which students must complete their application by  October 15 . Early action decisions are  non-binding  and applications are reviewed through the  holistic  admissions process. 

For Early Action admission, the application, $50 application fee, official high school transcript, and personal essay response are due by  October 15.  We will continue to accept ACT/SAT scores (both self-reported and official score reports) and optional materials (resume and recommendation letters) through  October 25  for Early Action admission.

Students who apply during early action are considered for Georgia College's most prestigious  President's Scholarship Competition   held in early December where over $200,000 worth of scholarships are awarded. 

Rolling Decision (aka Regular Decision)  provides applicants an opportunity to be reviewed at a later date in Georgia College's holistic admissions process. This gives students time to submit test scores taken after the Early Action timeline, include grades from their first semester of senior year, and gives a student more time to work on their application. 

If your file is Complete and Ready for Review by the date(s) below, a decision will be entered on the noted decision date:

October 15, 2024 (Early Action)*

*Early Action decisions will be posted by late November 2024. Check our social media accounts and emails for more information about when decisions will be available. Students will be notified via email that there has been an update to their admissions application status.

Beginning in January (after the early action deadline), decisions will be released on a monthly basis.

Please note: Completed and Ready for Review status means that ALL required application materials along with the Undergraduate Application have been received to the Office of Admissions.

Things to Know

The University System of Georgia has announced that the three most selective public universities in the state of Georgia will require standardized test scores for fall 2025 admission for first-year students. As one of the top three most selective public universities in the state, Georgia College & State University will require the SAT or ACT for admissions for fall 2025 . Keep in mind, GCSU employs a holistic admissions review process that takes into account a variety of factors such as GPA, difficulty of courses taken in high school, your essay, resume, and letters of recommendation. In addition, you may submit self-reported test scores for initial admissions review. If you are admitted using self-reported scores and choose to enroll at Georgia College & State University, you will need to submit official test scores by April 1, 2025.

Georgia College & State University is one of the three most selective public universities in the state, and we use a holistic review process that is focused on reading every student's application in-full to determine a well-rounded fit. Therefore, GCSU is not included in Georgia Match . Students must complete a traditional application on GA Futures or Common App to be considered for admission at GCSU.

FIRST-YEAR Student ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

In reviewing applications, the GCSU Office of Admissions uses a holistic admissions process. This process not only examines the students’ academic record but also takes into consideration the competencies and experiences (full spectrum) of an applicant. Therefore meeting the minimum admission requirement does not guarantee acceptance.  Student applications are evaluated once the file is complete with all supporting documents received.  Admission files should be complete by the indicated deadlines.

Learn more about your admissions status

Steps to Admission

Our fall 2025 freshman application is open.

Apply to Georgia College & State University through GA Futures beginning July 1 or via the Common App beginning August 1.

The Undergraduate application is used to apply as a first-year student. Please submit  ONLY ONE  application and use ONLY that application all the way through to submission. Submitting more than one application will most certainly delay your admission decision.  *The Office of Admissions has no application preference 

*Currently enrolled Georgia College dual enrollment students are only required to submit an  Undergraduate Update Form . Please note: Dual enrollment students will go through the same freshman admission review process and must meet the admission deadlines for all required admission materials.

GAFUTURES APPLICATION  COMMON APPLICATION

Please note: You will be prompted to create an account before you can access our online application. This is a GAfutures and Common Application requirement.

Application Fee:  The $50 (non-refundable) online application fee is payable at the time of application for first-year applicants. The paper application fee is $55 (non-refundable). If you submitted your application without paying the fee, you may do so through our  payment portal . 

First-year application processing fee is NOT required of students who have:

• Previously applied to Dual Enrollment at Georgia College 
• Received an application fee waiver

Students who receive a testing fee waiver will automatically receive College Application Fee Waivers from the test agency to use when applying to college. Students must send one of their official College Application Fee Waivers  (not the test fee waiver)  to the Georgia College Office of Admissions for the waiver to be accepted.  Note: Waivers must be signed by the student and  mailed  or  emailed .

Accepted application fee waivers: NACAC, Glimpse, NRCCUA, College Board (SAT), ACT

If you are exempt from paying the application fee, please select  “Fee Waiver”  option on your application to avoid paying the application fee. 

Please note:  Applicants are responsible for submitting their official fee waivers to the Office of Admissions.

Applicants  are required to submit official high school transcripts to the GCSU Office of Admissions. Students who attended multiple high schools may be required to submit official transcripts from all schools (particularly if not all high school courses appear on the student's current high school transcript). 

If admitted ,   dual enrollment transcripts are required if any courses were taken at an institution/college while the student attended high school. For information about course equivalency and how courses taken at another institution transfer to Georgia College, please visit our  Transfer Equivalency  page. 

Official formats for receiving transcripts include:

College:  Parchment ,  National Student Clearinghouse ,  Mail High School:  GAfutures ,  Parchment ,  CommonApp ,  Naviance , and  Mail

Mailed transcripts should be sent in an unopened envelope that was sealed by the school. 

Faxed documents and copies provided by the student are NOT considered official and will not be used for admission purposes. Courses from one institution that are listed on another high school and/or college transcript will not substitute for an official transcript. Prior educational experience may not be omitted from an application package.

As part of our mission to provide students with a liberal arts education, Georgia College strives to create an atmosphere that instills in students exceptional qualities of mind and character including respect for individuality. Georgia College is dedicated to extending learning beyond the classroom to foster critical thinking skills and help students develop the tools necessary to not only consume knowledge, but also produce knowledge. Our faculty create a rigorous and challenging classroom experience and prepare students to combine that experience with real-world applications. With this educational style in mind, please choose one of the two following essay topics:

• Given your own individual background and life experiences, what strengths or distinctions will you contribute to the student body at GCSU?
• Please describe the most important goal you have established for yourself regarding your future undergraduate experience and explain how a Georgia College education fits into accomplishing this goal.

Generally, essays are completed on the application. However, if sending the essays via mail or email, please include the applicant’s full name and birth date to ensure materials are updated to the correct application. Essays may be mailed to Campus Box 23, Milledgeville, GA 31061, or emailed as a Microsoft Word document to  [email protected] .

*Currently enrolled Georgia College dual enrollment students are not required to submit essay responses.

Having trouble completing the essays through CommonApp? View the video tutorial below for a step-by-step guide.

Watch CommonApp Tutorial

The University System of Georgia has announced that the three most selective public universities in the state of Georgia will require standardized test scores for fall 2025 admission for first-year students. As one of the top three most selective public universities in the state, Georgia College & State University will require the SAT or ACT for admissions for fall 2025 . Keep in mind, GCSU employs a holistic admissions review process that takes into account a variety of factors such as GPA, difficulty of courses taken in high school, your essay, resume, and letters of recommendation. In addition, you may submit self-reported test scores for initial admissions review. If you are admitted using self-reported scores   and choose to enroll at Georgia College & State University, you will need to submit official test scores by April 1, 2025.

Despite the changes and challenges of the last few years, GCSU's quality of education, commitment to community, and devotion to our students' success has not wavered. Neither has our holistic review process with our admissions applicants - we have always focused on academics, rigor, activities, and leadership. Admissions decisions are based on the total student portfolio and demonstrated potential for contribution to the university and probability for success in the unique environment of the GCSU community.

Self-Reported Test Scores In an effort to expedite the application completion process, Georgia College will allow self-reported test scores for initial admission review. You have two avenues to self-report your standardized test scores:

• Self-reported scores listed in the Common Application testing section
• Self-reported Score Form, which can be found in your admission portal after you have submitted your application

Please note: We will not use scores received on your high school transcript or via email, fax, or postal service. Additionally, GCSU cannot request scores on your behalf.

If you are admitted and choose to enroll at Georgia College, you will need to submit official test scores by April 1. Use the school codes below to submit your official scores:

• SAT/ AP/CLEP:  5252

To learn more about how we use test scores, click the button below.

GCSU TEST SCORE INFORMATION

LEARN HOW TO SEND SAT SCORES   LEARN HOW TO SEND ACT SCORES

SAT Test Dates  |  ACT Test Dates  

• One to two letters of recommendation from teacher or counselor
• Resume of co-curricular activities

Since Georgia College utilizes a holistic review process, letters of recommendation and resumes may be included on the application for admission, upload in student portal, mailed to Campus Box 23, Milledgeville, GA 31061, or emailed as a Microsoft Word document/ PDF format to  [email protected] . Please include the applicant’s full name and birth date when sending the recommended items to ensure materials are updated to the correct application.  Please note: Georgia College does not utilize a specific teacher recommendation form.

The successful first-year applicant will demonstrate his or her potential for success by completing a rigorous  Required High School Curriculum  with a competitive grade point average, show strong SAT or ACT score results and provide a well developed personal essay.  The middle 50% of admitted students for Fall 2022 had SAT total scores ranging from 1110 to 1250 (EBRW + M subscores only), 23 to 28 ACT Composite scores and high school grade point averages ranging from 3.51 to 3.93 (calculated on unweighted academic courses only).

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Other Information

Annual security and fire safety report  .

The GCSU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report include crime statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred On Campus; in or on certain Non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by GCSU; and on Public Property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, fire safety policies/statistics, and other matters. Hard copies are available at the Department of Public Safety. You may also request a hard copy by emailing  [email protected]  or view our most recent report .

As required by Title IX, Georgia College & State University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any of its education programs or activities, including in admissions and employment. Inquiries concerning application of Title IX can be directed to GCSU's Title IX Coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. Please visit  Georgia College & State University’s Title IX webpage  for more information. 

The form must be submitted for students who meet the criteria below.

• Dual Enrollment students currently enrolled at Georgia College
• GC students who attend another school as a transient for either the Fall or Spring semester (the student needs to send an official transcript to the Admissions Office once their final grade is posted)
• Students who withdraw and receive a full refund for a Fall or Spring semester
• Non-Degree Seeking students  (must update every semester)
• Non-Degree Seeking, Amendment 23 students (must update every semester)
• Students who wish to attend/return to GCSU and applied or were enrolled less than a year ago (If more than a year has passed, the student needs to submit a new application)

UPDATE YOUR UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION

More From Forbes

A definitive plan for your college admissions process.

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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: A view of the campus of Harvard University on July 08, 2020 in ... [+] Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Navigating the college admissions process can be a daunting journey for students and parents alike. However, with a comprehensive plan and strategic approach , this journey can be transformed into a manageable and rewarding experience. Here’s a definitive plan for navigating the college application process.

Laying The Foundation

The first step in the college application process is to organize and plan meticulously. Begin by finalizing your college list , which will be the roadmap for your applications. This involves researching colleges, understanding their requirements, and aligning them with your career goals and interests. Your high school’s internal tools, such as Naviance and SCOIR, are fantastic resources to help you dive deeply into your options. Speaking with college-based contacts , such as alumni of your high school, and taking virtual tours can provide insight into the experiences at specific college campuses.

Familiarize yourself with application platforms like Common App and Coalition App. These platforms will be your gateway to submitting your applications, so understanding how to navigate them efficiently is key. Maintain a checklist to ensure all components of your application are completed and submitted on time. Remember, the Common App opens on August 1, and it’s essential to check for any changes to prompts and requirements.

Recently, some universities have adjusted their requirements for standardized testing, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, MIT, and CalTech. It’s important to stay updated on each college’s requirements, as policies may vary. Staying informed and prepared will help you navigate these changes smoothly.

Gather letters of recommendation, transcripts, and other supporting documents to ensure a complete application package. Tools like application platforms and checklists will be invaluable in keeping you organized and on track.

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Once you have your list, creating a comprehensive master calendar is essential. Tools like Google Calendar or Notion can help you map out all your deadlines, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. This master calendar will be your guide as you navigate through the myriad of tasks ahead.

Crafting Your Personal Narrative

Your personal statement is a critical component of your application, offering a glimpse into who you are beyond grades and test scores. Begin brainstorming topics that reflect your unique experiences and passions. Reflect deeply on significant life events, challenges, and achievements that have shaped you. Seek inspiration from past successful essays to provide you with examples of compelling narratives that resonate with admissions officers.

As you draft your personal statement, remember that revision is key. Seek feedback from trusted advisors and mentors to refine your essay. Tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway App can assist in ensuring your writing is clear, concise, and impactful. Having the essay reviewed by a trusted team of reviewers with experience in admissions can support you in ensuring your narrative will resonate with the audience of college admissions officers .

Tackling Supplemental Essays

Supplemental essays provide an opportunity to demonstrate your fit for specific colleges. Taking virtual and in-person tours can provide you with personalized data that allow you to show how your story fits your targeted colleges. Start by drafting essays for early application schools. These essays should highlight specific examples why you are a good match. Show your enthusiasm for the school and your intended major, and use specific examples to illustrate your points.

Finalizing Early Applications

As early application deadlines approach, it’s crucial to finalize all materials. This includes completing final revisions on essays and preparing additional documents like resumes and activity lists. Attention to detail can make the difference between a good application and a great one. Make sure every component is perfect before submission.

Don't forget to check in with your teachers regarding your deadlines that they can align the timing of their letters of recommendation with your college submissions.

Remember to check in with your school counselor and teachers regarding your deadlines and fill out any of their required forms so that they can recommend you and align their letters of recommendation with your college goals.

Early Application Submissions And Refinements

With your early applications ready, submit them and continue refining essays for regular decision schools. Stay organized and ensure all deadlines are met. Conduct thorough final reviews of your early applications and begin preparing regular decision essays. This phase is about ensuring everything is polished and ready for submission.

Perform final proofreads of your early application essays and start drafting and refining essays for remaining colleges. Remember, meticulous preparation and thoughtful reflection are essential to achieving your academic dreams.

Finalizing Regular Decision Applications

As you move closer to the end of the process, focus on finalizing all regular decision application essays and materials. Gather letters of recommendation, transcripts, and other supporting documents to ensure a complete application package. Tools like application platforms and checklists will be invaluable in keeping you organized and on track.

Submit all remaining applications and confirm receipt to ensure everything has been successfully submitted. This final step ensures that all your hard work culminates in successful submissions.

Await Additional Requirements

Colleges may invite you to interview or to submit additional information after your initial required submission. Stay on top of notifications to your application portals and proactively check inside of your portal to ensure you haven’t missed any additional requests. For example, last cycle, some colleges such as Brown and Chicago gave the option of a video introduction inside their portals after submission.

If your family is applying for financial aid, be sure to check for any deadlines related to FAFSA, CSS profile, and individual scholarship essays.

The college admissions process is a marathon, not a sprint. By following a structured plan and utilizing available resources, you can navigate this journey with confidence and poise. Remember, the key to success lies in detailed preparation, thoughtful reflection, and continuous improvement. With a clear plan and the right support, you can transform the college application process from a daunting task into a rewarding journey.

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What is the No. 1 Thing That Georgia Tech's Offense Must Improve upon in 2024?

Jackson caudell | jul 9, 2024.

After having one of the ACC's worst offenses in 2022, Georgia Tech had a massive turnaround on that side of the ball in 2023. Texas A&M transfer Haynes King won the quarterback battle and became one of the best quarterbacks in the conference as the season progressed. Jamal Haynes made the switch from wide receiver to running back and had a 1,000 yard season. The wide receiver corps was a question mark coming into the season, but Eric Singleton Jr, Malik Rutherford, and Christian Leary showed the versatility to make their receiving rooms one of the best in the ACC. The offensive line showed massive improvement from the year before and Georgia Tech led the ACC in rushing, as well as being one of the top teams in pass protection. The Yellow Jackets are returning most of their players from this offense and they should be one of the best in the conference yet again.

But there is one glaring area that they need to improve and that is turnovers.

Georgia Tech's offense was good at so many things last season, but they turned the ball over a lot and ranked 93rd in the country in turnovers lost. King led the ACC in interceptions and a lot of his interceptions came in single games. King had 11 interceptions combined in games against Clemson, Bowling Green, Boston College, and Miami. Georgia Tech was 1-3 in those games. You can make the argument that if King does not turn the ball over so much against Bowling Green and Boston College, Georgia Tech wins both of those games. As good as King was for Georgia Tech last year, he has to improve on his interception number or it will be an uphill. battle for the Yellow Jackets to get back to the postseason given their schedule.

This spring, quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke went into detail about the improvements he wanted to see from King and specifically mentioned the turnovers:

"Yeah, it's always a process, right? Regardless of how old you are, whether you're a young guy or you've got experience, I think you always continue to learn. You always continue to develop. The challenge I have for my guys every single day is find something to get better at just a little bit better. each day and I think over the collective period of time whether it's it's spring ball it's the summer leading into camp I think if those guys can just focus on those little things obviously the body of work will be will be special when it's all said and done more specifically with Haynes, obviously had a really good year for us but he's a perfectionist and I think when you look at and you go back and you watch every snap from last year, his ability to make big plays, not only with his legs, but in the passing game. Obviously, the elephant in the room is the turnovers, right? And we have to clean that up. We cannot provide extra opportunities for the opponent. He knows that, he understands it. So you look at every single turnover and why did it happen? And you try to eliminate those things, or the reason that... that it happened and I think he's conscious of that. What I don't want to do is take away his aggressiveness and he understands and knows that. 

I want him playing full speed, trusting his eyes and sometimes those things happen and I think he understands it but his development in terms of operating our offense, high football IQ, really a joy to work with and coach, he speaks the language at a high level, understands it. and I only think he's gotten better since last year. I think you look at his release. It's quicker than it was a year ago. It's been something he's been conscious of, but his leadership qualities and what he's what he's done for this football team is special."

For as good as Georgia Tech's offense was, the turnovers have to be fixed. I think if they can improve in that area by a substantial amount, it is going to make this team more dangerous. That is one of the top storylines to watch with this team going into the season.

JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation

Follow @jacksoncaudell

Application Prompts for 2024-2025

Your essay and short answer responses help us get to know you.

We’ve selected the following prompts for the UNC-specific portion for the first-year and transfer applications for 2024-2025. We’re proud of the Carolina community and how each student makes us better through their excellence, intellect, and character. In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a part of the Carolina community would mean to you.

Short answer prompts

We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt in up to 250 words.

• Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.
• Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Common Application essay

You’ll choose one Common Essay prompt to respond to in 250-650 words. These prompts are common to all schools who accept the Common Application, and you can view the prompts here. Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. The Common Application also has an optional section where you’ll have the opportunity to write about how COVID-19 has affected you.

Your responses will be evaluated not only for admission, but also for possible selection for scholarships and other special opportunities. We look forward to learning more about you!

Advice for Your Application

First-year application, transfer application.