<p>I am currently a senior so I'll be applying real soon, but out of curiosity, how does the state you live in affect college admissions? I live in North Carolina and I've heard rumors that good schools are starting to take more kids from the South so I was pretty excited. i've got all the credentials to get into Stanford (ACT, ECs, GPA, Strength of schedule), but honestly being a middle-class white male that has lived a good life gives me 0 hook so I just wanted to know if I am now completely banking on them wanting kids from the south. So, how does what state you love in affect it? If Stanford has very little North Carolinians, will that help my chances?</p>
<p>NC is not under represented. Sorry.</p>
<p>Which states are? Generally speaking?</p>
<p>MS, ND, SD, AK, WY, MT, AR, maybe NV and UT</p>
<p>And even being from one of those states isn’t exactly a golden ticket.</p>
<p>State of residence is not even considered at Stanford. [Stanford</a> University: Common Data Set 2011-2012](<a href=“http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2011.html#admission]Stanford”>http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2011.html#admission) Section C7</p>
<p>OF COURSE geographic diversity is a factor. “State Residency” refers to res of the state that college is located in. Stanford checked “considered” for geographical residence.</p>
<p>Wait I thought that Oklahoma was an under represented state as well?</p>
<p>Someone can simply find Stanford’s profile, if there is one, that shows % from various states. It can change yearly. </p>
<p>Some of this is misleading- eg, there will be plenty of applicants from Northern VA, plenty from some specific high schools, but a superb applicant from rural Appalachia can get extra attention.</p>
<p>There are some colleges where it may be a plus to be from NC. That is particularly true because so many of the top students from NC go to UNC-CH, as opposed to out of state schools.</p>
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<p>I was at one large admissions session, where the admissions director jokingly begged for someone from N. Dakota to come forward so they could say they have students from all 50 states.</p>
<p>I found a 2010 article from Stanford that said the south was underrepresented and they were going to work on expanding that in the next few years. Maybe dreams do come true?</p>
<p>OK but NC, FL and GA are ususally the states w/the most representation in that batch. It’s OK to hope but don’t straw grasp. Best of luck to you – Palo Alto’s weather is paradise.</p>
<p>I think South in that case probably means Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas… If you look at the NMSF qualifying scores compared to other states you can see why those states might be underrepresented.</p>
<p>You guys, you’re dashing my hopes and dreams…
But I have another question: no one from my school has ever gotten into Stanford…is this bad news? Actually, regarding top schools, my school send only like 2-4 kids to the ivy league a year… I don’t really understand why but yeah…I think it’s because probably 97% of students are dead set on going to UNC</p>
<p>No, it doesn’t matter that no one from your school has ever gotten in. They don’t have quotas by school - although the admissions officer assigned to your geographic area probably does know all the schools that consistently sent lots of applicants their way.</p>
<p>Sorry to burst your bubble. Stanford is a nightmare to get in. Almost half Californians and they care big time about sports. Take tons of amazing athletes leaving very few spots for mere mortals.
What are your ec’s?</p>
<p>Youre not really bursting my bubble, honestly, I realize the acceptance possibilities are incredibly low and I know i would love many of the other schools I’m applying to as well.
Ummm I’ve done varsity swimming every year and was captain junior year. I was junior class president. Nhs and nshs. I was a founding member of the psychology club. A member of the Spanish club. I taught my self Korean/went to Korea to study to it, kind of. I am treasurer of habitat for humanity. I’m 15th out of 400 students. My essays are about me… Like they’re about my passion for linguistics and then my personality (for the roommate supplement question). From everything I’ve heard and read, the essays need to focus on me and my passions for the admissions person to get to know me. My grades are fine and my scores are fine. The randomness of the admissions process just freaks me out.
I also have 0 “hook” just middle class white male…
I’m just completely freaked out by applications.</p>
<p>^^^that sounds really conceited but I promise my essays don’t come out that way hahaha. I’m just scared af</p>
<p>I hear you. My passion is writing. Happy to look at your essays if you want feedback</p>
<p>A Stanford dean has a youtube where he says something or other about how hs kids don’t really now what passion is about. (It’s slightly older now and I’m not sure he’s still there.)</p>
<p>“Passion” means more how you take your interests and plans and do something with them. Call it vision and energy. Kids should really read the web site, see how S sees its image and the sorts of kids it likes. There’s a bit in there about how they look for kids who have been entrepreneurial about their education. Kids who can reach out, climb out of the cozy hs box, the sameness. In that respect, your Korea experience may be good. But, how have you stretched yourself, otherwise? What have you done that they will feel has substance and where you have had some sort of impact? Eg, Habitat is good; treasurer isn’t as impressive showing you were on several building projects over time.</p>