<p>How big a role does geographic diversity play in admissions?
If I'm from Montana, how much will it help me in applying to small private schools on the East Coast? What about West?
Thanks</p>
<p>For schools that care about it, geography can help, from a little to a lot, but it depends on how actively the school seeks to boast their geographic diversity.</p>
<p>so how important is geographic diversity for the ivies/northwestern/washu/uchicago/duke?</p>
<p>They all take it into consideration, but it helps a lot as a tipping factor if you already have ivy qualifications.</p>
<p>ahh... thanks, muraski</p>
<p>Wow, another Montanan!! I sure hope that geographical diversity helps. I wrote my essay about my small town and I hope that it catches their eye. </p>
<p>BTW, where in MT are you from?</p>
<p>Livingston, you?</p>
<p>People in Montana go to college? Oh damn.......learn something new everyday. Sorry......I had to......on the east coast we always picture everyone living like 3 miles apart over there.</p>
<p>haha yeah. I heard that Pomona is big on geographic diversity. Can anyone confirm that?</p>
<p>I visited Pomona this past fall and there was a large US map in the Admissions Office with thumbtacks marking hometowns of undergraduate students... as I remember, each state was represented.</p>
<p>I live in Missoula now, but spent most of my childhood in Seeley Lake. BTW, there are areas where people live 3 miles apart, but not where I live.</p>
<p>I just have to put my two cents in as well.</p>
<p>I just got back from driving out to the midwest to see some schools...thought it would be fun. Nope. Had to go through Montana...really long drive if you take I-90/I-94. Then, some friends wanted to continue on to the East Coast, so we did.</p>
<p>Seemed like the drive from MN to NY was shorter (I guess it seemed like we were making quicker progress--due to passing through more states). It took like 17 hours from MN to NY. 30 hours from Portland, OR to MN. It's way true that western states are bigger and less populated. Funny, but it looks like it would be a little more even in terms of distance between the West Coast and the Midwest, and the Midwest and the East Coast. Oh well.</p>
<p>I like Billings, Missoula, and Butte, though. And it seemed like sometimes there many more miles between cities or towns than just three (more like 40 miles).</p>
<p>IB</p>
<p>Schools can care about geographic diversity quite a bit up to a point. Pomona is looking for applicants from the East Coast and Emory is looking for applicants from the West Coast. It is less of a factor at the very, very top colleges with the brand-names since they have people applying from everywhere already.</p>
<p>So, if I'm interviewing at/applying to Swarthmore, Bard, Haverford, or Middlebury, should I put more emphasis on rural MT than in my applications to Reed or Claremont McKenna?</p>
<p>Any schools looking for Texans?</p>
<p>^^ Yes, a lot of LACs in the midwest and northeast would love to have students from Texas.</p>
<p>How does anyone know WHAT any given college is looking for??</p>
<p>Well, one way is to google the college’s “strategic plan” and that will give you some idea. Some colleges want a higher academic profile (higher standardized test or GPAs), some want richer students, some want more geographic diversity. Some will be making an intense effort to attract minority students. Some want to get more students in particular academic departments, some want less in particular academic departments.</p>