MacKenzie Tobin, a senior from the tiny west Georgia town of Ellaville, said her acceptance by the University of Georgia, announced with fanfare in a surprise ceremony at her school last month, was “one of the top three events in my life.”

Her early admission puts her in a growing group. Georgia’s top universities reflect a national trend of more students taking advantage of early application options, getting their college applications in – and responses from colleges — months ahead of the normal, final deadline.

They're prompted by a number of factors. Find out what those are and learn more about the early-admission trend in our report here on myajc.com.

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Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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Georgia and Florida wildlife officials work to disentangle right whale No. 5217, called Division, off St. Simons Island on Dec. 4. (Courtesy o Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute)

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