Does the top tier universities admit x amount from each area?

Applying to College
1

Hi, so I come from a low-income background from a middle-low income public school, and I’ve applied to top-tier universities and the ivies. I live ~15 minutes away from a high income school that will easily send kids off to the schools that I’ve applied to. Now, I’m the first from my school to attempt to break my community’s local college barrier, but I’m afraid that since I live so close to this Ivy-making school I will be harmed in the admissions process.

Do colleges determine number of acceptances by geographical location? Will I be compared to these kids? It just sucks to think that I might get compared to these kids that have had 100x more opportunities than I have. Like I can compete at an academic level with them, but I don’t have the money nor the connections to spend 3 months on a mission trip to Argentina or to intern in D.C.

2

No, they don’t. Many do try to get some geographic diversity but there are no caps. Coming from a non-representative school can be both a plus and a minus. At this point it is what it is.

3

In fact, my understanding is the top colleges like to admit students from neighboring schools because it fosters goodwill in the community.

4

There are no “quotas” for a certain region. An admissions officer may not want a ton of cookie cutter high-achieving kids all from the New York area, for example, but that doesn’t mean there’s a set limit. Your application will be evaluated on its own merit.

5
  1. It is a waste of time to agonize over circumstances you can't change.
  2. Each application is reviewed on its own merits.
  3. There are no quotas by area.
  4. Admissions officers are not terribly impressed by those "mission" type trips as they understand that one must be a an advantaged economic position to make such a trip.