<p>I'm thinking about applying to a few west coast schools next year (Stanford or Berkeley), and I'm wondering if the fact that I live in New York will have any importance in the admissions process. They're both pretty big reach schools for me anyway, but should I expect my chances at being accepted to be lower or higher based on my location?</p>
<p>Assuming equal chances to a person with similar stats, I’d say lower. Stanford already has plenty of good students to choose from… and there are a lot of applications from the East (unless you’re from small states like Delaware?) so yeah, you have less chances than what you have if you’re enrolled in a competitive West Coast high school.</p>
<p>When applying to Berkley, being an out of state student would definitely hurt you chances, but for Stanford the chance would be “equal” regardless of location.</p>