The Georgia Institute of Technology

Like most other comments, I think Georgia Tech is well worth the nights of torment and lack of sleep. I believe that most college students want three main things: decent grades, sleep, and a social life. At Georgia Tech, I prefer to get decent grades and sleep. So, my social life takes a back seat. That does not mean that there are not opportunties on campus and off campus to relax and have fun. You just have to seek those things out. Nobody is going to go out of their way to be friends to you.

It is also very important to have a balance. I know many seniors, who study and have high GPAs, but have absolutely no social skills and are having a difficult time finding employment. It is very easy to be wrapped up in classes and projects day in and day out. But it is very important to remember that there is more to being a person than studying all the time. We are, after all, social creatures. I would recommend finding hobbies and friends that are not affiliated with Georgia Tech, things that you can do on the weekends and people you can hang out with who know nothing about computers or statistics.

I went to a nearby state university before attending Georgia Tech. I liked the state university very much, and I still keep in touch with many people that I had classes with. I just wanted something tougher and more challenging. I also wanted a degree that would be more marketable and profitable. I would NOT recommend people to come to Georgia Tech fresh out of high school. This school has a way of crushing the spirit. I have seen it many times. Freshmen come in, full of hope, only to hate being in college after two semesters. I would recommend attending another university where they can take basic freshmen level courses (especially computer science and physics) and interesting liberal arts courses that may not be taught at Georgia Tech. Of course, get As and Bs at the university. The curriculum at Georgia Tech can be somewhat "dry" in that there is primarily only engineering and science and little "wiggle-room" for anything interesting.

5th Year Female -- Class 2006

Education Quality: A+, Innovation: D-

I loved Georgia Tech.
It was hard, no doubt. It was highly competitive. But everything in life I've encountered since has been easy - including a graduate degree in Computer Science.

My only regret is not taking more liberal arts classes - I was so in tune with 'getting out' that I failed to see how great it really was until I left GT for the real world. Slow down, if you can afford it, take an extra semester or two - take some classes for fun!

In terms of preparedness, I had my choice of PhD programs - including MIT! (I actually ended up not pursuing a PhD, leaving it for a much more fun job. ) My first year classes in grad school I just coasted through due to the level of education I received at Georgia Tech.

My biggest complaint about my years there were the dorms (us first tenants of the apartment style dorms had to deal with a lot of problems.... things weren't FINISHED when we moved in!) and SAC. SAC has now been revamped, and the dorm life has stabilized. Parking was also a pain, but I think that's true of any campus.

To me, the best part about tech was the fact that we were all geeks. Granted I was a rather social geek, but you just instantly connected with people. It was 'bad' to be a geek/smart in high school - but at tech, everyone was just like you. We relished our geekdom.

I miss Georgia Tech terribly. To me, socially, it was quite a party school - I drank a lot ;) Much of the social life does revolve around greek organizations, but not all. As you get older, people tend to clump into friend/party groups by their major.I feel that most of the negative reviews (I haven't read them yet, but am about to...) come from those who struggled academically with the level of work required. I partied hard and studied hard - but I found a balance.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

The best advice I can give anybody is to join a sorority or fraternity. I don't want to sound like a jerk but almost the entire campus is divided among the greek community, the asians, and the antisocial people. There are 30-something fraternities on campus and they are all different so if a guy can't find a fraternity he fits into, he's not looking. There are about 6 sororities on campus but if you're a nice girl you'll find one to join. For guys, I recommend Spring rush over Fall rush. You get to know guys better and can make a better choice when deciding where to rush.

Basically, being in a fraternity/sorority gives you a social outlet to counter all your school work. Do that and you'll be just fine here. You'll have to work hard but you'll do fine. Make sure you take Calculus in high school. If not, find a friend who has and get him or her to help you. You won't pass otherwise.

1st Year Male -- Class 2011

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: C