Ask HN: Advice for 'sneaking' into dream school.

My first point of advice is to not lose the forest for the trees. Life is about destinations, and not so much the paths we take to get there. You say you want to study environmental engineering and industrial design to solve problems, which is a laudable goal. However, it seems almost certain that you could do that without going to GT. Obviously, you'd be happier if you went there, but if GT slammed its doors to you that should not be a showstopper in the long run. Perspective is imperative if you're trying to do anything remotely difficult - which you are.

That said, let's focus on what you actually asked - how to get into GT 'under the radar'. You're right that your GPA and SAT's don't seem stellar given GT's reputation, and that may or may not be offset by your other circumstances (supporting parents and intriguing extracurriculars). That said, there are certainly avenues you could pursue which don't involve a direct application. Community college with a transfer is probably the most likely for you, boring as it may be. Are you from Atlanta? Can you talk to a professor at GT to help flesh out your options? For instance, maybe take some courses at GT while enrolled at a community college with an eye towards transferring? That would help with the boredom aspect. Maybe they have a lab of some sort and could use a volunteer for a while in exchange for a recommendation letter when you do apply. You never know, but you need to get creative. With only a high school diploma, you have less room to maneuver because eventually you will need to be admitted to the general student body to get a degree (you can't, for instance, be admitted as a provisional student as happens with graduate applicants). Be creative, though - and don't constrain yourself needlessly.

Good luck!

Rather than wring your hands and worry you're not worthy, why not just apply and see how it goes? If you don't get in through the front door, you can make a plan from there. Of course, you still want to build the most compelling application you can. Do your homework, talk to admission offers and professors you might want to work with, etc.

HN user Ramit has a really great blog post that answers this exact question: http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/turn-failure-to-do...

Any engineering school in the country will require you to take a year of chemistry, a year of english, three semesters of calculus based physics, three semesters of calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and a bit of programming. If you can't get good marks in these classes at a community college, Georgia Tech engineering classes will destroy you. If you do get good marks in these classes, Georgia Tech engineering will probably be very happy to admit you.

These classes will likely be less boring at a community college, because you will have smallers classes taught by an instructors who are more or less happy to be there (rather than auditorium-size classes taught by researchers who have better things to do).

Go to Southern Poly, just up the road in Marietta. You'll be able to transfer in about a year AND have the Hope scholarship.