how much of a role does geographic diversity play in admissions? is it just an advantage over equally qualified applicants in more popular states?
I would say being from an underrepresented area helps in colleges with holistic admissions. For example, someone highly qualified from say North Dakota has the edge over someone equally qualified from Massachusetts in northeastern colleges.
It might. But what is your home state?
For some schools it can make a difference. Northeastern University, for example, wants a national stature, and likes applicants from beyond the northeast of the US
@T26E4 Nebraska