Embracing Essay Writing AuthenTECHly

This week we welcome Senior Admission Advisor, Julissa Ortiz, to the blog. Welcome, Julissa!

As the fall season approaches, I eagerly anticipate the cozy evenings ahead… bundling up with a blanket, watching my favorite movies, and preparing for the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year!

But there’s something else I love about this season: as an admission counselor at Georgia Tech, I get to read the stories of so many incredible students through their college essays. This will be my third year reviewing applications, and I must say, it’s a privilege. Every year I’m amazed by the courage, creativity, and authenticity that so many students bring to their writing.

I know this process can feel overwhelming. But remember, your essay is more than a task we require… it’s a unique opportunity to speak directly to us! As seniors everywhere begin to tackle their college essays, I’d like to offer some advice to help you shine through your writing.

Find Your Voice

Your voice is one of the most essential elements of your college essay. It’s what makes your writing feel genuine and memorable—it’s the way your personality, values, and experiences shine through your words. Write out loud

To find your voice, use language that feels natural to you. There’s no need to overcomplicate things with fancy words. Read your essay out loud and ask yourself, “Is this what I would actually say if I were speaking to an admission counselor in person? Does it sound like me?” Getting feedback from someone else can also help, but trust your instincts—you know yourself best! Don’t forget, we’re genuinely trying to get a glimpse of who you are, so don’t hold back or overthink. Be authentic and let your true self come through.

Share Personal Stories

Your personal stories are what make you uniquely you, and they have the power to transform your essay into something you’re proud to use to represent yourself. Georgia Tech is on the Common App, which offers seven different prompts to choose from. There’s no right or wrong choice—each prompt is designed to help you reflect on the moments that have shaped who you are today.

Think about the experiences that have left a mark on you: maybe it was overcoming an unforeseen challenge, discovering a passion that excites you, or having a conversation that shifted your perspective. Big or small, these moments reveal who you are beneath the surface. When you write with honesty and self-reflection, you invite the reader to see the world through your eyes.

Don’t Overlook the Supplemental Essay

Beyond the Common App essay, Georgia Tech asks for a supplemental essay to understand how you might fit within our campus community. Our motto is “Progress and Service,” and we’re looking for students who are not only excited about what they can gain here but also about what they can contribute.

Think about how Tech aligns with your goals and passions. Reflect on how you see yourself engaging with our community, both in and out of the classroom. This is your chance to show us why Georgia Tech is the place for you—and why you’re a perfect fit for us. Be thoughtful, be specific, and most importantly, be yourself! Share how you see yourself living our values and contributing to our dynamic campus life.

Be Your AuthenTECH Self!

At the end of the day, what’s the key to writing a great college essay for Georgia Tech? Be your AuthenTECH self! Your story matters, and we can’t wait to hear it. So, grab your favorite fall treat, take a deep breath, and start brainstorming your thoughts. We can’t wait to meet you through your words and discover the unique perspective you’ll bring to our Yellow Jacket family.

Julissa Ortiz has dedicated her career to supporting students. She joined Georgia Tech in 2022 as a Senior Admission Advisor within the First-Year Team, bringing her experience and enthusiasm for fostering college access. As a first-generation, small-town student herself, Julissa is deeply committed to expanding educational opportunities for all. She also serves as an advisor for the Women’s Recruitment Team, a dynamic student organization on campus focused on supporting prospective women, while creating an empowered community among members.

A View from the Trashcan: Navigating College Fairs, Part 1

I am not going to tell you how many college fairs I have attended in my 17 years in admission, but let’s put the over/under at A LOT. Why title this “a view from the trashcan”?

I have not always worked for a college that begins with the letter G, which currently puts me in the middle of a college fair floorplan (colleges are usually arranged in alphabetical order—more on that later!).

I spent many years at an institution that put me at the beginning of the alphabet. And coincidentally, right by the trash can. Every time. I have literally spent YEARS of my life standing by a trash can with a view of the whole gym/convention center/mall/barn/breezeway/cafeteria/structure-hopefully-with-a-roof-but-not-always.

As such, I have been privy to the myriads of conversations that happen at the front door as students walk into a college fair, and I was often the last witness to the final words spoken as students head out. To put it in old timer’s terms, I’ve seen a thing or two, and I want to share the best takeaways from literally years of watching these social experiments called college fairs go down.

What I’ve seen: First timers

Here are some indicators of first-time college fair attendees:

Freezing at the entrance to the fair, eyes wide and visibly overwhelmed.
They spend 20 minutes staring at signage/map/layout.
When asked their name, they look at the adult with them before answering.
They drop every brochure on the floor at every table. Every time.
Bring a notebook with 15 questions – half of which are answered on the college’s website and in the brochure on the table.
Don’t get to every college they want to see.
Leave feeling overwhelmed instead of better informed.

Sounds stressful? Read on, because there is a better way!

Make a Plan.

Pre-register – Whenever possible, look up the college fair website and pre-register. This unlocks useful information like a map of the facility, a place to load your information to share with the colleges you choose, a list of colleges attending, directions, parking information. All the details that help you feel less stressed and better able to tackle the college fair itself.

Bring an empty bag – Colleges LOVE shiny brochures! But for you, shiny = slippery. Some college fairs give you a bag at the entrance, but savvy college fair shoppers will bring an empty bag.

Get a floor map – Typically the check in table has a map of the fair layout. Ask how the tables are set up. Common layouts include arranging colleges alphabetically, in-state vs out-of-state school, public vs private schools, largest schools on the outside rim of the room, and sometimes, and this is a tough one, there is no specific order. Get the details before you launch yourself into the fray.

Charge your phone! Many times, college fairs give registered students a QR code to show colleges, and when shared, that code gets you on the college’s mailing list. You want to be ready.

When they ask your name, don’t look at your mom. You are going to college. That means you know and can say your name. I am not throwing shade if you are nervous. That’s okay!! At the table you will probably be asked, what’s your name, what high school do you attend, what year are you in school, and what are you thinking about studying? College admission representatives love students and want to help, so don’t be nervous about talking with us.

Pro Tip: Make a list of MUST-SEE colleges and visit them at the beginning so you don’t run out of time.

Social Strategies

Back to standing at the trash can watching students enter. I want to address a few common scenarios: walking in alone, with friends, or with a family member.

Alone – I see some successful college fair navigation from students on their own. The lone student visits tables that interest them, asks questions that matter to them, and, if they have a bag, gets loads of material and information to consider. Pro-tips for flying solo at a fair: pre-game with a family member to think about important questions, and bring a notebook. You won’t have anyone helping you remember, and key insights can be forgotten in the noisy atmosphere of a college fair.

With Friends—I think this is the trickiest scenario to navigate as a student. You may feel that going with your buds will boost your confidence, but here are some thoughts. What if you want to talk to a college that your friends think is uncool? What if you waste 20 minutes at a table where you don’t want to be because the group thinks it is cool? I accept bending to peer pressure on where you go out to eat, but not where you will spend the next four years of your life. Sometimes you need to break from the crowd. I am amazed at the negative things I’ve heard teenagers say to each other at college fairs. Pro-tip: if you want to go with friends, make a pact that you will do some solo exploring and meet back up to compare notes. Best of both worlds!

With a parent/family member – Here’s the truth: many student/parent/family combos spend a lot of time fighting at the trashcan. They fight as they enter. They fight as they leave. (I have also witnessed them whisper fight in front of me at the table.) I know how deeply emotional the college search can be. It brings out the hopes, fears, joy, nervousness, insecurities… of your parents. Students feel all these emotions too. And sometimes those feelings clash at college fairs.

I am not a psychologist, but my pro-tip here is to be extra gentle with each other if you can. If you can say ahead of time, “I am worried we may not agree on the colleges we visit at the fair. Could we make a plan, so you are happy, and I am too?” or “I know we don’t agree on what I want to do for my major. I will look at the schools that are really important to you. Would you support me in looking at few others that are important to me too?” or “I know how important it is that I look at your alma mater. I will. I will keep an open mind. Will you consider some of my priority schools too?”

There is wisdom to be gained by the trash can. I hope these observations make your next college fair a meaningful part of your college search process!

Katie Mattli has worked in college admission for over 17 years. She joined Georgia Tech in 2014 and works with first-year recruitment initiatives. Her previous years at a private liberal arts college for women fueled her love of student leadership and advocacy. She cares deeply about transparency in the admission process and supporting students, families and student advocates as they navigate the college admission process.

Enough! Approach Senior Year with a Different Mindset

Welcome Back Dear Readers… (just kidding)

Welcome back! We hope you had a few restful days this summer and are excited about the year ahead. Ten of my 17 years in admission have been here at Georgia Tech and during that time Rick Clark and I have had many a conversation. Conversations about our families, admission, the state of the world – all the things.

One of the reasons I have loved my time at Tech is because my personal values are in sync with the culture in this undergraduate admission office. I have long believed that part of our duty as admission professionals is to dial down the temperature in a very high stress, high stakes environment. Students, counselors, and families all feel a deep pressure surrounding the college admission process.

For that reason, we feel a deep commitment to be transparent, to empower the student and counseling community, and to anchor all the interested players in comforting common sense, tough love reality checks and much needed moments of lightheartedness and humor (come back for my next blog on College Fairs: A View from the Trashcan).

Over the years the blogs on our site have made me laugh, made me tear up, and always made me think. That is what you can expect from the blogs to come this year too. That same thoughtful alignment of care, information, and emotional buoyancy and we will begin right now.

Your College Admission Strategy

This post is for the seniors and their care team (feel free to read this ancient post on my thoughts about a care team. It is from 2018, and the message is still relevant —and for those keeping score, the Centennial Lightbulb is still burning!). Consider this our college admission strategy meeting and it begins with this: in just over 10 months every senior reading this will be celebrating graduation.

Did that just do the opposite of dialing down stress?? Well, let me be true to my word. For practicality, here is a detailed article on the college application timeline with helpful definitions, but before you put together a college timeline strategy, stick around for some thoughts on “enough.”

A Countercultural Concept: You are enough.

I have been thinking A LOT about what it means to do “enough,” to produce “enough,” to be “enough.” Our applicant pool attracts the type of student that is always seeking improvement. That drive starts before a student enters college, and we see it evidenced in so many different ways: how a student cares for their family, how they lead organizations, how they protect the environment, how they put in countless hours at a job, how they voraciously learn about topics that interest them… all expressions of passion, commitment, and motivation.

Far be it from me to slow you down when you pursue something you love. Your genuine passion for subjects, people, and ideas shows in your application and we LOVE that in the admission office.

But I want to take a pause and start the year off right, anchor your college search, application, and eventual admission to many fantastic schools with this statement: You are enough.

No Matter the Circumstances: You are enough.

There will be feelings of highs and lows this year. As you investigate which colleges you want on your list (and which ones you are volunTOLD to put on your list), in that mixture of excitement and nervousness as you explore possibilities, you are enough. When you contemplate what essays and short answers you will write, you are enough. As you are making your own decisions about what college or colleges are the right fit for you considering academics, campus culture, location, financials, and if it “feels right,” you are enough.

As you navigate admission decisions, some hoped for and some hurtful, REALLY remember that you are enough. In all those varied moments remember, take a deep breath, and know that you are enough.

Don’t mistake your “who” for your “do:” You are enough.

While your accomplishments in the classroom, your commitments to others, your responsibilities at home and outside of it are valued and have value, the things you do are still separate from who you are as person. I often see that get lost in the noise of senior year.

If you remember nothing else from this post, remember that this time next year, you will be starting college – because you are enough. In fact, you are better than enough!

I will end with what I see from my vantage point of reading applications and working with students for many years. If your inner voice ever says that you are not enough, fight back with the words I hear describing our applicants year after year. Check out how people describe you: motivated, smart, happy, innovative, forward thinking, passionate, creative, determined, outside-of-the-box, dependable, kind, and thoughtful. I know those words were written about students who at times did not feel like they were enough. When you can’t see it or feel it, believe the supportive words of people around you.

I hope you approach your senior year with the same commitments that we have made when crafting this blog – a promise to focus on common sense, tough love reality checks and much needed moments of lightheartedness and humor. We hope you have a great start to your senior year!

Fan Favorites: Admission Blog Greatest Hits

This week we welcome Interim Executive Director of Admission, Mary Tipton Woolley, to the blog. Welcome, Mary Tipton!

Over the last several years, the Georgia Tech Admission Blog has allowed us to share our knowledge and expertise with a wide audience. As loyal readers know, the main author of the blog, Rick Clark, moved into a new role at Georgia Tech in January.

Before the summer begins, we want to take a moment to reflect on the greatest hits over the last eight years – think of it as a Spotify wrapped for the history of the blog!

The blog started in the fall of 2015, so we’ll start our recap in 2016. These top blog posts for each year are evergreen and many continue to reign as some of our most read blogs of all time.

2016 – The year of Brexit and the Cubs winning the World Series for the first time in over 100 years also saw the publication of one of our top blogs of ALL TIME, 25 Reasons YOU SHOULD NOT Apply to Georgia Tech. Since then, first-year applications to Georgia Tech have grown 96%, proving that telling people what they shouldn’t do means they will do just that!

2017 – If you missed the first total solar eclipse in nearly 100 years in August, you may have agreed with the sentiment expressed in the top blog of 2017, Ad(mission): It’s not fair.

2018 – In the same year Rick decreed that listening is That ONE Thing that is most important in the admission process, Drake was the most listened to artist on Spotify.

2019 – The top blog of 2019 had a funny name but continues to be one of our most popular blogs of all time – Will saying I’m a blueberry get me into college? Supplemental Essays 101. Did you know that Georgia, aka the Peach State, actually produces more blueberries than peaches?

2020 – The top blog of 2020, What does being deferred mean? didn’t come until December – maybe because we had other things on our mind that year?

2021 – In 2021, many of us waited impatiently for life to return its pre-pandemic normalcy. With waiting on our minds, it makes sense that the top blog of this year was all about the waitlist – The Waitlist. Why?!

2022 – The unveiling of the first image from the James Webb telescope in July 2022 proved that man will go to incredible lengths to understand space, so why not continue to ask what requirements it takes to get into a college? What Are Your Admission Requirements addresses this continuous quest for admission knowledge.

2023 – This year brought the summer of “Barbenheimer” at the box office and The Two Most Important Letters in College Admission as the most popular blog of the year.

The world of college admission can often seem like an ever-changing landscape. Because of that, we are committed to reflection and critical thinking about the content we provide to you and have decided to pause the blog this summer to do just that.

You can expect us back here in August with a variety of writers from our team focusing a bit more on Georgia Tech specific content. We are hopeful this blog will continue to be a resource students, supporters and counselors can utilize in their daily work.

We hope you all have a great summer. We can’t wait to connect with you again soon!

Mindset and Approach- A Rising Senior’s Guide to College Admission

Last year I wrote this blog criticizing February, and man did the Feb fans have some words. Wow. Well, now I’m taking the other side of that coin to say that I’m a big fan of May.

First, the weather. Now, maybe you live somewhere I’m not thinking of or unfamiliar with and you have some terrible May situation, but in the South, the pollen is gone, the flowers are out, the bugs and humidity haven’t arrived, and most mornings and evenings are cool.

Also, it’s graduation month (though from this seemingly comprehensive list that is not official). Admittedly, between working at a college, speaking at graduations, and having a disproportionate number of friends and neighbors with graduating students, I have attended my fair share of these. I love the experience because graduations bring together family, present an opportunity for shared celebration of accomplishments, up our nation’s smile: frown ratio, and simultaneously facilitate both healthy reflection and warranted optimism about the future. Generally good times despite uncomfortable garb and predictably unmemorable speeches. Yep, I love a good tassel turn.

Graduation also means the seniors are done. Before you dismiss that one as “sentences that need never to have been written,” hang on. When those caps get picked up and the last selfie has been taken, the juniors take on a unique and important transient identity—RISING SENIORS.

If that’s you—this one’s for you.

Rising connotes you are not there yet. You are in transition. You have left the on-deck circle and are walking to the plate. Basically, this is your walk-up song summer (or playlist). And while your teachers may have already sent you things to do (summer assignments/reading list), when it comes to college admission, I want to focus on your mindset and approach.

RISING INTO COLLEGE ADMISSION

True Success

The longer I do this work and the more students and families I talk to, the more convinced I am that the real goal of college admission is not getting into a particular school. Instead, it is having choices and options. As a rising senior, you inevitably saw this play out with the graduating class. The students most satisfied with their college admission experience are those who felt like they had agency. Ultimately, they picked a college. Does that mean all doors were open? Of course not. But in the end, they got to select a college from several they were excited about. THAT is my hope for you—and not only for college but life well beyond. Freedom is having options. As you rise this summer, spend time thinking about what (not where) you want in a college– and why! Build a list of schools where you would be excited to go. Practice recognizing the difference between “a good school” and a good school for you.

Your walk-up song is playing. Phrases like “dream school,” “top choice,” limit your view of success/happiness and foster zero sum thinking. Keep your head up and your gaze is broad.

Mindset and approach are a choice.

Expect the Unexpected

College Admission is not Fair. Yikes. How’s that for orange juice right after brushing your teeth. Fair is a place they sell cotton candy, cobble together super rickety rides, and judge pigs. (h/t Tim Fields, Emory University). This ain’t that. In the year ahead, you are going to see admission decisions come out that will not make sense to you. Students in your high school will get into colleges you don’t think “they should have.” Worse still- you may see people get into a college you really wanted to go to or get selected for a scholarship you were hoping to receive, while you are dealing with the disappointment of being deferred or denied or waitlisted.

Rising Senior, I’m challenging you in those moments to actually show up for your friends, classmates, and teammates. Celebrating others is a life skill. Don’t let someone else’s outcomes impact your outlook.

Mindset and approach are a choice.

THE admit rate is not YOUR admit rate.

The published admit rate for a school you are considering is 33%. So one of every three applicants is offered admission, and two of three are either denied, waitlisted (and never pulled into the class), or those who fall out of the process along the way (incomplete, cancel application, etc.) As a smart rising senior, you likely did not need me to translate a percentage into multiple sentences, but hey, it’s a blog. It’s what I do.

ANYHOO, it would be easy/reasonable/and normal math to stop there. You’re thinking- I’m cool with a 1/3 shot. Sorry, friends. This isn’t the column or dozen groupings of a roulette wheel in Vegas. This is college admission. This is the willing suspension of regular math.

If you’re applying to a public university, question one is where are you from? Resident and non-resident admission review are completely different committee and consideration conversations. As an example, the University of Florida’s overall admit rate in 2023 was 23%. However, Sunshine State residents were admitted at nearly 60%, while Gator nation admitted Cloudy State residents at less than 20%.

Colleges will provide this data on their sites, but another good reference point is the Common Data Sets, primarily in Section C (Search: College Name and Common Data Site). Alternatively, you can check out this blog, which delves into both the CDS and CFD (Clark Family Dynamics).

Does every in-state resident, have the same chance of being admitted to their state’s flagship, even with the same grades, course rigor, or scores? If your answer starts with an N, keep reading. Otherwise, go back to the beginning. (And by beginning I meant the entire blog, circa 2015. Now you do have some summer reading assignments.)

Ultimately, mission drives admission. Or in wonky admission speak decisions come down to Institutional Priorities– and that leads us far beyond your zip code or state’s initials. As you’ll quickly see in Section C of the CDS, when you apply matters for many schools, particularly for those with Early Decision plans. The “same student” could apply two months earlier and have radically different odds for admission. Major, gender, first-generation status, and other factors will also play in. They will effectively “weight” the roulette ball. Translation: the rural North Dakotan (repetitive?) valedictorian who aces BC Calculus and applies for a Philosophy degree is going to read differently than you. Pack your bags and buy some thermals as you feel compelled.

Knowledge is power. Expectations matter. Mindset and approach are a choice.

Control What You Can Control

Journalists and social media over indexes on the Ivy League and can lead you to believe getting into college is extremely challenging for a talented and motivated rising senior. The truth is that colleges with admit rates under 15% are outposts not signposts in the real landscape of admission world. So contrary to the click bait headlines and hack coverage that dominates college admission beat writing, you are the one in control. *Note in a spirit of May optimism this blog is presuming next year the Fubar FAFSA debacle is behind us.

Where you apply. There are nearly 4000 colleges and universities in the United States alone. Many of them are already courting you, soliciting you, marketing to you, but ultimately it is your choice to apply or not. In other words, you decide the five, seven, eleven (please don’t go much higher than that) colleges you are interested in attending. Where you apply is totally in your control. Think about it this way- YOU are eliminating 99+% of possible colleges. Talk about highly selective!

Who offers you admission. So… this would be the part that you DO NOT control. If you or your parents are trying to manipulate or game exactly where you are admitted or how much financial aid you receive, please go watch The College Admission Scandal.

Which college you select to attend. If you do your research, apply to a balanced list of schools (academically, financially, and selectivity), and remain open to several “top choices,” you are going to have great options. The ball will be back in your court in the spring of your senior year, and you will get to choose—see True Success above.

How you show up. A little over a year from now you won’t be focused on your approach to college admission, but to the college where you are planning to attend. This is about showing up on Day 1 with a mentality of being all in. In my opinion, is the most important part. You don’t have to look far to find examples of students who ended up miserable at their “dream school.” Conversely, there are countless students who didn’t get in to their “top choice” and wound up tour guides elsewhere, i.e. not only drinking the Kool-Aid but selling it.

Mindset and approach are a choice (as a rising senior, senior, college applicant, college student, and in life well beyond).

Love and Admission

Rising Senior means you are not a kid- not a child. It means you are getting seriously close to leaving home. It means you are going to be away from home way more than you are at home. Many students read those lines and smile. Many parents read those lines…and cry. Then students don’t understand the tears. Parents are conflicted about the smiles. Round and round we go.

Bottom line is college admission is not all about applications or test scores or college decision letters. It’s also about a new chapter in your family’s life. And at 17 or 18, the emotion, gravity, and uncertainty wrapped up in that page flip is impossible to fully grasp. I’m asking you to try.

Listen, I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: most of the crazy stuff parents do and say is really just love in disguise. It sounds like nagging. It sounds like they don’t trust you or are not listening. They know. Right now they’re a little freaked out about the term “rising senior.” To them your high school career has been a blink of the eye. So even when you’re tired, even when it’s the fourth time, even when you have somewhere to be or someone to meet, I’m asking you to be a rising senior, rather than a child. And that means patience, kindness, grace.

Mindset and approach are a choice. Hugging your mama is not. May may be the month we observe Mother’s Day, but every day is a good one to hug your mama!

The summer is here. Your walk-up music is playing. In fact, like you, it is RISING. So Rise!

Georgia Tech Admission Blog

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