The Zinch Report

For example, does it help to be from Nebraska? Not exactly. No student gets in by virtue of his or her home state. In the Dartmouth class of 2010, for example, not all states are represented in the class, but all states were represented in the applicant pool. This means one of two things: either no students from two states were admitted, or no students decided to matriculate. Whichever it is doesn’t matter. What matters is that being from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota or whatever state you think has it easy, will not alone get you in.

Also, being from a city or state with a large population of (highly selective) college bound students provides a set of distinct advantages. First, if you are from CT for example, you are more likely to have an admissions officer visit your high school. Second, you are more likely to have an active alumni group that may host events or give alumni interviews. Third, a history of past students from your area attending certain schools creates a base of knowledge from which you draw. This last one is subtle but importent.

When I worked in admissions, I traveled to both rural Oregon and Connecticut boarding schools. The students in the high concentration boarding schools had so much more information (some accurate, lots not) and were more savvy about the admissions process, in general. And yet, they also were sure they were at a disadvantage.

If the state from which an applicant comes is relevant to the student’s experience, then yes, it may help that student get in. An example - I once interviewed a student from Iowa who lived in a town of 300 and spent most of his time outside of school working on an irrigation system for his family farm. In that case, being from the town in Iowa where he lived was a part of who he was, how he spent his time, and what his goals were. It wasn’t that his Iowa residency would help him get in, it was how his upbringing and experiences were tied to his community that made his residency compelling.

Lucky for you all, Zinch helps bring information and increases access for students who may live in towns, states or countries where admissions officers rarely go. If you're from an area or family where everyone plans for college far in advance, consider yourself lucky because you have access to great resources and Zinch on top of that! If you're doing this on your own, largely self motivated, use that strength and drive to get your hands on all the information and resources you can and don't be intimidated from applying to schools you love that may seem out of reach. You never know unless you try, and now is the time to start exploring. Colleges and universities are looking for students from everywhere!