Emory is an excellent school, especially academically

I am from Atlanta and currently live in the metro area, and I'd say Emory is the most highly regarded university in Georgia. As others have mentioned, most of the kids are not from Georgia (heavy New York / northeast presence). It's traditionally had a large Jewish enrollment, owing a lot to the fact that Atlanta has always had a really strong Jewish community, even back in the old days when most people would assume there would not be much tolerance. Overall, from my experience of their graduates, it's good mix of folks from different areas and provides opportunities on a national level.

The business school is top notch, as are any of the biomedical / public health programs. It has very tight connections to the CDC, and Emory University Med school is a top research institution.

I cant' speak much to the social life, but have never personally heard too many great things about that aspect. The area over in Decatur in sort of quaint for being an urban setting, but also is still very much urban in comparison to other colleges out there with what I'd call more idyllic settings (i.e. it's not a Notre Dame or UVA type campus).