<p>A reminder that this is what I said that applies to those who aren't in large urban areas:</p>
<p>"Consequently, more will be expected of a student who is from a part of the country like the urban Northeast than a student who is from an underrepresented part of the country. Also, more would be expected of a student from an excellent school, affluent family in an urban area with lots of opportunities than would be expected of a low income student in an isolated, unsophisticated rural village. "</p>
<p>Still, if one is applying to Harvard from, for instance, an isolated rural area, to be competitive, one still would be expected to have not only scores/grades that are within Harvard's range, but you also would be expected to demonstrate leadership and other things that indicated that you took advantage of your home environment.</p>
<p>If you live on a farm and have to help out there, then perhaps you could stand out in admission for having raised award-winning livestock.</p>
<p>If you have to help out in your immigrant family's shop in the inner city, perhaps you also would have started a tutoring program at your church to help other immigrant kids do well in school or maybe you would be the only teen at your church who is teaching Sunday school.</p>
<p>Anyway, you would not be expected to do things that someone would have time and the opportunity to do if they came from a well off family and attended a school with many extracurricular options and has their own a car to be able to get to activities.</p>
<p>If, however, you are basically getting high grades, but aren't doing anything else but studying, you would not stand out in the pool because your lack of any nonacademic activities would pale beside those of students from similar backgrounds who are working to help their families, taking on top leadership positions in their churches and schools and/or helping out at home by taking care of sibs and elderly relatives while their parents work.</p>
<p>If you check CC's archives, there was a post last Dec. or so by a white male from rural Virginia who got in EA despite having scores that were much lower than Harvard's average (though still were high enough to indicate that he could do the work at Harvard -- typically that means an 1800 minimum new SAT), and who also didn't have the kind of ECs that I described earlier as outstanding. </p>
<p>He was, however, outstanding in his environment, and I'm sure that Harvard took that into account by admitting him EA while deferring and ultimately rejecting many other students who came from more affluent, sophisticated areas and had higher scores, more impressive ECs and probably more polished applications due to their GC's sophistication and their parents' being able to afford consultants.</p>
<p>Students who also have gotten good grades and scores despite overcoming major challenges such as being homeless, a foster child, etc. also have are given credit for what they have done. Such people aren't expected to also have the kind of ECs, grades and scores that students do who have lots of advantages. They still are, however, expected to have grades and scores that indicate that they can do the work at a place like a top university.</p>
<p>Finally, I do need to emphasize that one can be disadvantaged and do the things that I mentioned and still not get into a place like HPYS, which are reaches for everyone. Similarly, one can be affluent and have outstanding ECs, grades and scores, but still be rejected. Most people who apply to places like HPYS qualify for admission. There is not space for all, so the determining factors may end up being things that you have no control over like where you live or whether the admission officers went over your application just after accepting someone very similar to you.</p>