<p>So I saw a similar post. But I wanted a more specific answer.
Is being from an underepresented state (such as Kansas haha), a benefit or a hinderance? Like I know I am the only one from my school who applied to several schools. And since I live in one of the only cities and Kansas and attend probably one of the best schools here, I am probably among few in the state who applied there as well. Since schools like to be geographically diverse, does that help? Or am I more strictly compared to the people who applied from my state?</p>
<p>Assuming you are already extremely qualified, I think that you would have a better shot than someone else who is equally qualified from, say, NY, or CA.</p>
<p>Be a little careful. There are well-to-do suburbs in the KC area that are just as competitive and just as likely to send students to top schools as the well-to-do suburbs of Chicago, NY, Boston, Phila, DC, etc.</p>
<p>I’m from New Mexico, which I’m going to guess is in the bottom 10 states when it comes to sending kids to ivies.</p>
<p>I’m going to guess geographical location, however, has little to no bearing on admissions.</p>
<p>^Many schools say that geographic location is a factor, albeit a small one. If you had identical stats as a kid from NY you’d get in over him if you were from Kansas.</p>
<p>A lot of schools want to guarantee that they have student from all 50 states so they give a bit more of a preference to kids from states that don’t normally apply to those schools.</p>
<p>I’m now sort of wondering how New Mexico stacks up for high-level colleges. I’ve been banking on an original ec to get me in to high level colleges (I am part of a sketch comedy group, which, as far as I know, is a pretty original EC). It’s neat to know that my geographical location is helping me out too, though. </p>
<p>I still don’t expect to get in anywhere, but I can have hope, right?</p>
<p>Obviously you have to be qualified, but since colleges want to have kids from all 50 states, what constitutes qualified for you (out of a smaller number of applicants from your state) may be less stringent than what constitutes qualified for a NY applicant (out of a huge number of applicants).</p>