Personal Essays

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 2026 applications. Both prompts are required of all applicants.

  1. Common Application Personal Essay: First-year applicants will choose one of seven essay prompts provided by Common App.
  2. 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.