Getting in versus getting out

Yes, Georgia Tech has academic restrictions for incoming student-athletes. Yes, we have entrance requirements higher than NCAA standards. Yes, the entrance requirements are higher than most other NCAA schools. However, the Orlando Sentinel thinks it's not as grand a difference as you might want to believe. They essentially say that we are the 3rd toughest ACC school to get into behind Wake Forest and Duke. and with a "7" ranking in overall difficulty getting in, they have us "equal" to Michigan, Penn State, Texas, Missouri, Notre Dame, and yes........... Georgia.


Now, first of all I disagree with their number ranking of Georgia Tech. Georgia has a continuous pipeline of prep recruits who couldn't get in with heading to some military academy. However, there is a kernal of truth in their rankings, but they only address part of the point.


The main point is not that Georgia Tech is one of the hardest schools to get IN. The point is that:


1. Georgia Tech is one of the hardest schools to get OUT. Therefore you have to recruit kids who can do the work and have to discipline to succeed. Yes, they get excellent academic support, but they still have to work hard. There's no cake-walk at Tech. You earn that degree.


2. Tech has a recruiting disadvantage because of the lack of majors offered. The latest casualty was a 300+ lb offensive lineman (Heath Batchelor), who committed but later found out we didn't offer his major and changed his loyalty to South Carolina. That's a fact of life at Tech. Some kids won't find what they want academically here.


So just "getting in" is only a small part of the picture. There are other elements that make Tech a challenge when it comes to attracting top level talent. It takes VERY special kids to play at Tech - period!!!