Over the weekend, more than 5,000 students around the world earned acceptance to Georgia Tech as part of the Early Action admission pool for the 2014 freshman class.

These high schoolers, as in previous years, are at the top of their classes. Georgia Tech's average admitted student has a 4.0 GPA and an SAT score of 1485/2193 and will have taken nine college-level courses prior to high school graduation.

For the first time, however, students applied and were accepted from all 50 states, not to mention 42 countries. The admitted pool includes more women and African Americans, while also being the most selective in recent years — 40 percent were admitted this year compared to 55 percent in 2013 — yet it includes just as many Georgia residents.

“We think the trend of increased selectivity will only continue with our use of the Common App,” said Rick Clark, director of Undergraduate Admission. In spite of Common App glitches and woes earlier in the admission cycle, Georgia Tech saw a 37 percent increase in Early Action applications in its first year using the system, with applications continuing to come in for the Jan. 10 regular admission deadline.

For the 5,000 students who learned of their acceptance this weekend, they now face the decision of choosing which college to attend. Many applicants also receive offers of admission and generous scholarships from other prestigious universities.

Undergraduate Admission hosts several events in the spring for admitted students to help them make an educated decision about whether to enroll. These events include local coffee nights, Connect With Tech, Destination Tech, and an Admitted Women’s Social. The personal connections that occur during these visits and other interactions are often the most influential factor in a student’s decision, Clark said.

“Our faculty, staff, and students are the experts in their colleges, departments, clubs, and organizations, and can tell the Georgia Tech story in a specific way to our prospective students,” Clark said. “Sharing anecdotes and reaching out in a personal way is what we appreciate help with — we see it as a campus effort to bring in the new class.”

Students were notified of their admission status online and will soon receive acceptance packets in the mail. A lucky few will be surprised with a hand-delivered acceptance packet this week, when several faculty and staff members will visit local high schools to congratulate students on their admission in person.

The regular decision deadline for freshman applications is Friday, Jan. 10. Decisions on those applicants will be issued mid-March.