<p>Specifically for Penn (Wharton).</p>
<p>I'm from MS. I have a 35 ACT and a 790 Math II; to keep this post short and sweet, let's just say I have the scores.</p>
<p>I also have major national level awards in my biggest EC (Public Forum Debate), and my GPA is solid enough to place me well into the top 10% of my class (I don't know any more than that; my school doesn't rank.)</p>
<p>Am I a "hooked" candidate for Wharton, even though I'm an Asian male? Penn always seems to be scrambling to snag a few--if any--solid candidates from my state. (See: Penn</a> Admissions: Incoming Class Profile ) For the Class of 2013, I think Penn has 2 students from MS, both of whom were accepted in the RD round. I have higher scores than both of them, but they are in SEAS.</p>
<p>Please post your opinions!</p>
<p>No, “underrepresented state” is never a “hook.” It may help you at the margins, but you’ll be accepted (or not) on the strength of your overall application. You sound like a very solid candidate with a good chance of admission—but then again, Wharton rejects a lot of very solid candidates with similar credentials. So who knows? Can’t hurt, may help a little, but don’t count on it as a “hook.”</p>
<p>IMO, the whole “underrepresented state” thing is vastly overrated, mostly by way of sour grapes from rejected applicants from “overrepresented” states. It may make a difference at the margins if it comes down to a choice between similarly credentialed candidates, and since your credentials are strong it may end up helping you. But not enough to count as a “hook.” And besides, beyond pure bragging rights as to how many states are “represented” (which only requires 1 per state, so not a big advantage), I should think the reason colleges and universities might be interested in geographic diversity is as a kind of proxy for cultural, social, and experiential diversity. But if that’s what they’re looking for, I’m not sure they’d go out of their way to pick yet another academically talented middle-class suburban Asian-American (if that’s what you are) to represent Mississippi. Sorry to say it, but an African-American from the Delta, or the offspring of many generations of poor white dirt farmers from the North Mississippi hill country, or even the scion of a long line of plantation owners would probably do more to ring their diversity chimes. I hasten to add that I know nothing about your personal or family background, however. If you’re descended from Vietnamese boat people or oppressed Tibetans or Hmong refugees, you might get some of these cultural-social-experiential diversity points.</p>