Students have applied for early action admission to the University of Georgia in unprecedented numbers, and they’ve set records for academic accomplishment.

More than 15,800 students from Georgia and across the nation applied for early action admission to America’s first state-chartered university, an increase of 9 percent over the previous year. The average GPA of the 8,000 students admitted to the Class of 2021 through early action admission was 4.14, which exceeds last year's average of 4.11 and reflects rigorous coursework, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. Students admitted to UGA through early action took an average of nine IB and AP classes, up from eight last year. Their average ACT score tied last year’s record of 31, and their average SAT R score is 1363.
 
“We are thrilled to offer admission to such a talented group of high school seniors,” said Patrick Winter, associate vice president for undergraduate admissions and enrollment management. “These admitted students have demonstrated excellence in academics throughout their high school career. UGA is committed to supporting the Class of 2021 in continuing their successes here in Athens.”
 
Prospective first-year students have two application options at UGA: Early action applicants are considered for admission based solely on their grades, the rigor of their high school curriculum and the results of their SAT or ACT scores.

The early action application deadline was Oct. 15, and last Friday students learned whether they have been admitted, denied or deferred to the regular decision pool through the password-protected myStatus page at www.admissions.uga.edu.

Regular decision applicants are reviewed at a later date, which gives students more time to work on their application and enables them to submit test scores after the early action deadline and to include grades from the first semester of their senior year. The regular decision deadline is Jan. 15, and decisions are typically released in mid-March.

“Applicants who received a deferral of their decision are still very much eligible for admissions consideration,” Winter said. “Completing the second part of their admissions application will allow them to be considered for admission with regard to their achievements and activities beyond the classroom.”

The number of applicants to UGA has risen dramatically in recent years, as has the institution’s reputation as a national leader in public higher education. UGA jumped three spots to 18th among public universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking, for example, and earlier this year became the nation’s largest public university to ensure that each of its students engages in hands-on learning through internships, research, study abroad, service-learning and other forms of experiential learning.

“This outstanding group of admitted students—the strongest in our history—points to UGA’s rising reputation as one of the very best public research university’s in the nation,” said President Jere W. Morehead.