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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Views of the exterior of Druid Hills High School in Atlanta shown on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. In the plan approved by the DeKalb County school board on Monday, everything but the main building, pictured here, will be demolished in favor of a new school building. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

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Jo'wan Bellamy taught in the GNETS program for 17 years and recently transferred to Atlanta’s new behavioral program at Crawford Long Middle School. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com