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UGA AS A NATIONAL BRAND – From Sea to Shining Sea!
Bear with me here. I live in NY and want to share my kids’ (current UGA students) college search/decisions stories (don’t worry there is some crapping on Florida) as an example/analogy of what seems to be happening during the same time with the UGA brand on the recruiting front.
Many of you have probably been in/around Athens for so long, I suspect you may not realize (or have forgotten) just how easy it is to instantly fall in love the first time you visit UGA. In January of 2015, when my daughter was a junior in HS, she decided she wanted to escape NY winters (she’s smart) and go to school down south and to an SEC school for the football games and school spirit, etc.
She always said her first choice was UF and as we were planning a trip to visit the school, I explained to her that UGA seemed to have everything she was looking for so we should stop off to visit Athens on the way. As most teenagers assume their parents don’t know anything, she resisted – she knew nothing about UGA or Athens and knew no one that had ever gone there. She was so excited to see UF and we planned to be there for a few days, but first we would stop off in Athens for one night (maybe 22hrs total) in Athens beforehand. Well, just like on the recruiting trail – get them on campus! She (and I) fell in love with UGA and Athens! She got into both schools, but there was no decision - She was a Dawg and a Gator-hater! She is now a rising UGA Senior and is beyond obsessed with UGA and cannot imagine herself anywhere else.
My son (who graduated HS in 2018) didn’t even bother applying to UF. Similar to most blue-chip football recruits, UF didn’t make my Son’s Top 5! He’s now a rising sophomore at UGA and absolutely loves it! He’s only home a few weeks this summer, as he wants to be in Athens and live in the fraternity house instead (shocking I know).
UGA has been described as a “sleeping giant” that Kirby has been fully waking up and at the same time, and I suspect in large measure because of the national spotlight from football (google “the Flutie Effect”), kids from coast to coast are applying to the school. The number of applications for admission has been rising steadily each year since 2015, including significant increases of out-of-state applications and states like California and New York are now among the top 10 states represented by UGA’s classes. Of course, this is all leading to more and more competitive (academic) classes each year. My daughter’s class (entering in 2016) was UGA’s most competitive ever and each year since has surpassed the prior.
Like football recruiting, UGA is academically becoming more selective and talented and drawing talent from all over the country. Great time (and times ahead) to be a Dawg!
Comments
@Herschel_Talker NY kids have been going (far away) to State Flagships like Wisconsin and Michigan, for example, for decades. They are starting to discover UGA -warm winters, amazing town and football and academically it is a major riser. After we (hopefully) win a Natty this year - and have some hoops success - UGA will be a top 10 public school.
To 914 dawg........how did you become affiliated with UGA ?? Great post btw
Thanks @skidmarks (btw, that is a strange thing say any day, but particularly today for me as I'll be doing colonoscopy prep tonight!)
I have always followed SEC football and Georgia was one of teams I always enjoyed watching b/c of the "brand" of football they played (I'm a lifelong Steeler fan and always saw some parallels). I was beyond excited when my daughter chose UGA as I could now have it as my (only) college team and really dive into fandom. With 2 kids at UGA - I'd say I'm pretty invested! I hope to retire (someday) in Athens , but for now I probably get down there 4-5 times a year.
In the 70's, when I was in elementary school and started loving football, the NY teams were bad and many of my classmates became Steelers, Cowboys, Raiders or Miami fans - teams that were good and on television/playoffs. Jack Lambert and Lynn Swann were my guys.
Yeah 914 I loved the 70’s Steelers too, met my wife as a student at UGA , but our daughter had qualifying scores but couldn’t get in, she goes to Clemson, costs us 4x out of state ............all the southern schools are flooded with qualified applicants from out of state , so they admit all the out of state students they can to grasp the $$$$$. My daughters freshman room was from Boston I asked her what she was going down here ...said she didn’t want to go to school where it was cold
UGA admissions (via their admissions blog which was a great source of info) insists that their admissions standards are the same for in-state and out-of-state. Also, unlike, e.g., Texas or UNC, UGA does not have a set amount of spots/% set aside for in-state or out-of-state. Applications to UGA have gone up dramatically for both, making it harder and harder for all. Also, I learned that, not surprisingly, UGA's yield is much higher for in-state admitted students, likely b/c of distance and cost.
914Dawg, my daughter is also a senior at UGA. Congratulations to you on having two children at a great university at the same time, and congratulations to our smart kids.
Like my father before me I am a University of Georgia graduate, but, unlike my daughter I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to gain admission today. The university's academic standards are top drawer.
I realized a number of years ago that Georgia is a dream school for students up and down the east coast. It's only going to get worse, or better, depending on your viewpoint. They say in football that iron sharpens iron, but the same is true in the classroom.
The more UGA attracts top students and top football players the more UGA will be attractive to top students and top ball players. The upward spiral is in full swing already.
Go, Dawgs!
I to would have my doubts about being able to get into UGA today, but I was so very proud when one of my sons applied and was admitted to this great institution. I am fortunate today to live close enough to Athens that I get to be there several times a week.
It's been a hope for many years that UGA would be considered a national brand. I think that dream has been realized.
I ran across some tips from a woman that works in the UGA admissions office on twitter so I copied and pasted her tips to use when my son is ready to apply. If anybody wants these tips please dm me and I'll email them to you.
Ummm "PM" @DvilleDawg 😉
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