Just wondering what you guys think of this. It’s kind of like URM but URS? For example, South Arkansas tends to have a far worse educational system than schools in California and New Jersey. There are less opportunities to volunteer here. At my school, we have no mock trials, no student government, no Girl Scouts anymore, no ROTC, no debate team. There’s not alot of academic awards being given out either. Just wondering if there is some sort of edge for students from states like Arkansas and Misissippi.
Ohhh. Absolutely. I know for a fact that some colleges (I went to their info sessions, for reference, it was in SoCal) really really want kids from certain states. They tend to favor those in the south, like Mississippi and Great Plains states like Iowa, Nebraska etc. I remember one admission officer explicitly stated they would do anything for a qualified kid from Mississippi at their school.
It really depends on the school I would say. I’m sure many colleges do take that into consideration to diversify their geographic demographics, but I’ve noticed that top schools don’t really consider it a hook per say. However, holistically admitting colleges wont compare you to more competitive high schools like in California or New York. They just want to see that you’ve taken the most challenging courses of what is available to you and made the best out of your situation. It’s all in context