{"177401":{"#nid":"177401","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Early Action Admission Decisions Drop Saturday","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe date 12\/12\/12 held an ominous significance for some, and many still have their eyes on the world\u2019s potential end on 12\/21\/12. But for 9,000 high schoolers across the globe, it\u2019s 12: 15 p.m. EST on 12\/15 that\u2019s the life-changing moment of the month \u2013 the moment when early admission applicants will find out if they\u2019ve been admitted to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe process is simultaneously draining and exhilarating,\u201d said Director of Undergraduate Admission Rick Clark. Staff begin reviewing applications as they come in, but often a large influx of applications arrives within days of the deadline. After a minimum of two reads of each application, most are read a third time in a final cohort review.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think about the Institute\u2019s goals and go back through to make sure we\u2019re supporting the defined priorities,\u201d he said, citing successful examples such as the increase in female enrollment in recent years. \u201cThe last two weeks are the most intense. We have all these kids\u2019 names memorized.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA fortune cookie, toffee and other cookies currently occupy Clark\u2019s desk \u2013 all signs that decision season is in full swing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThinking conservatively, if each applicant comes from a family of four, these decisions easily touch 36,000 to 40,000 people. It keeps in perspective how important the work is.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll signs say this year\u2019s decision-making has been more efficient than in the past.\u0026nbsp;Twice-weekly Admissions Committee meetings haven\u2019t gone past 7 p.m., and the admissions staff reviewed 6 percent more early action applications than last year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of that increase came from international applicants. Due to the applicants\u2019 high quantity and quality, the Admission office partnered with a third-party company to conduct interviews in China, giving staff additional, personalized material to review during the decision-making process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen possible, Admission staff try to put a personal touch on a student\u0027s acceptance. Megan Hutchins, assistant director, had one applicant whose essay about a love of puzzles provided an opportunity to respond in a meaningful way. The admit will likely first learn of her acceptance online through BuzzPort but, with inspiration from coworker Ashley Brooks, a puzzle crafted from her acceptance letter will go in the mailed acceptance packet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It was one way to make it feel special for her and to see we really read her essay and care about the things that matter to her,\u0022 Hutchins said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome applicants will not only get news from Georgia Tech on Saturday, but also from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which issues its early decisions at exactly 12:15 p.m. as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can see threads on \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/collegeconfidential.com\u0022\u003ECollege Confidential\u003C\/a\u003E about how many kids will have two computer screens open at that moment, or will Skype with friends about the decisions,\u201d said Clark.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s early admission student profile includes a 4.0 average GPA, 1460\/2155 SAT score, with a predicted GPA of 3.3 after freshman year at Tech. Some 55 percent of applicants were accepted, 21 percent deferred and 21 percent denied; the rest did not complete their application files.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome departments might be fractured by the long hours and work of recent months, but the Admission staff members continue to enjoy each other\u2019s company even outside their work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris Briggs, assistant director, serves as commissioner for the office\u0027s fantasy football league. \u0022[The league] brings us together and serves as a distraction from the day to day grind,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark takes the staff\u0027s fellowship as an encouraging sign. \u201cSometimes when you go through something intense that forces this kind of teamwork, it binds folks together. I can tell they really enjoy what they\u2019re doing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe camaraderie will need to carry into the spring; regular decision admissions will be announced March 9. Deferred applicants will have a two-week window to submit a deferral supplement form, which will be available Feb. 1. Those applicants, as well as those whose files were incomplete at the early action deadline, will also be notified on the regular decision date of March 9.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEarly action applicants will be notified of their admission status at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Early action applicants will be notified of their admission status at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2012-12-13 14:51:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:22","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"177421":{"id":"177421","type":"image","title":"Buzz Worn Out by Admissions","body":null,"created":"1449179031","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:51","changed":"1475894822","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:02","alt":"Buzz Worn Out by Admissions","file":{"fid":"195916","name":"a9ivglcciaaz__s.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/a9ivglcciaaz__s_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/a9ivglcciaaz__s_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":72254,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/a9ivglcciaaz__s_0.jpeg?itok=zqh7ic3V"}},"177411":{"id":"177411","type":"image","title":"Admissions Committee Fueled by Snacks","body":null,"created":"1449179031","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:51","changed":"1475894822","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:02","alt":"Admissions Committee Fueled by Snacks","file":{"fid":"195915","name":"a9casu-ceaadouc.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/a9casu-ceaadouc_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/a9casu-ceaadouc_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":88098,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/a9casu-ceaadouc_0.jpeg?itok=QhGfbms1"}},"177431":{"id":"177431","type":"image","title":"Admissions White Boards Track Progress","body":null,"created":"1449179031","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:51","changed":"1475894822","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:02","alt":"Admissions White Boards Track Progress","file":{"fid":"195917","name":"ea_timeline.metrics.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ea_timeline.metrics_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ea_timeline.metrics_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33744,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ea_timeline.metrics_0.jpg?itok=ZPpTh5P-"}}},"media_ids":["177421","177411","177431"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/admission.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of Undergraduate Admission"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5453","name":"admission"},{"id":"53041","name":"early action"},{"id":"53131","name":"Office of Admission"},{"id":"10347","name":"undergraduate admission"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}