Does applying to an Ivy League from New York diminish your chances of getting in? I was scrolling through the Results threads of HYPSM and very few of the accepted applicants are from New York, but as for those who got in from New York, they all have these insanely amazing statistics. However, there are applicant who aren’t from New York and they have “average” statistics, and they’re getting into these schools. So, would applying from NY hurt your chances?
Everybody who gets in has “insanely amazing statistics.” That’s what it takes.
Define “average” and “insanely amazing”…
Geographic diversity does play a small role.
@OnMyWay2013 @bodangles … I saw a girl get into Harvard with a 2050 and few Ecs, no sat 2s, from Montana… MEANWHILE I saw a kid from NY with a 2370, Intel semifinalist, and like 5 leadership roles, Rejected, from New York… So that’s what I mean,
And regarding @bodangles’s point… where does the cutoff begin?
There is no cutoff hence holistic admissions. The girl from montana did not get into harvard because of where he lived. Yes, that may be A factor but it isn’t a DECIDING factor. No Ivy holds a grudge against NY applicants so the reason why students with top grades and scores don’t get in is not because they’re from NY. Geographic diversity is a very small role in a big plate.
Harvard gets tens of thousands of applicants. You can’t take a small fraction of results from CC and then make blanket statements. Obviously they want geographic diversity. But look at Princeton. They accepted applicants from NY this year and accepted 0 applicants from Nebraska.
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I find this VERY difficult to believe. I just checked Harvard College’s website, and two SAT IIs are “normally” required. Perhaps the’d waive the SAT II requirement if the applicant were from Antarctica, but Montana . . .
This one has apocryphal, urban-legend written all over it.
@toptier What are you talking about?
@CaliCash @Gatortristan ok I understand that it’s holistic but at the end of the day… what can you really do to improve your chances if your from a metropolous like nyc or La. I used to think it was SAT scores but looking at the threads… 2300+'s are getting rejected left and right .
@verizonwireless It’s Harvard. Tons of qualified applicants get rejected. Get over it. It’s a crapshoot. You probably will get rejected. Most people do. There’s no way to game the system and stand out. If there was, people would be doing it and once people start doing it, it’s no longer unique. Just apply and see what happens.
@CaliCash: Thoes arrows were aimed at post #4; I took a phone call before I hit “Post Comment.” Sorry for the confusion.
Our high school in New York did very well with the Ivies this year. Just to give an example, they admitted four to Harvard.
If you’re stats aren’t top notch you need to stand out and make impacts in our world…I think.
Oh, and you need luck. A LOT of it.
I’d believe it is harder to get into an Ivy from say, Manhattan. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gotten into Princeton if I were from Palo Alto instead of the Midwest.
However, if you’re just from some suburb of New York I wouldn’t think your chances are any different from mine.
Everyone getting into Harvard has insanely amazing something whether its essays or stats or awards or EC’s.
Geography plays a role in that people from New York probably generally have better stats than those people in Montana, but I don’t ivy leagues are required to admit people from every state in the nation. If there aren’t any qualified applicants in Idaho for example, then they won’t accept anyone.
People from New York have “insanely amazing” stats because New York is extremely competitive and being the cream of the crop requires that much effort.
People from Idaho/Montana states like those might have “average” stats but they’re still the cream of their crop. They’re still the best in their region but they have less opportunities (SAT prep classes, EC opportunities?, AP Classes) so it seems like they have “average” stats to those living in other states, but if you were living in Montana, that applicant who got into Harvard might have been the best student the high school has seen in years.
Top schools are looking for “top” students. Being the best is relative, depends on your circumstances. You have to compare apples to apples.
Rdeng: instead of big apples to potatoes? 
Not all hs in metro NYC are created equal. And top colleges aren’t just looking for top high school kids. They’re looking for kids who will make great students at their college. That’s a bit different than, say, 5 leadership roles in hs or being “best” if you didn’t strive. Read what the various colleges say.
And geo diversity is more than a small flourish. But no, that doesn’t tip a kid from an underrepresented state in, if he doesn’t have what the college looks for.