<p>collegealum314:
The whole geography thing is a pretty complex discussion. You are partially right in your observation. However, a lot of it has more to do with what kind of opportunities an applicant has access to. Schools in Chicago are pretty high caliber and are comparable to the competitive schools you find on the East and West coast, so your friends had that working against them. It really depends on the state and what city or town you are applying from and what caliber schools are in your area. According to various ivy league officers who visited my school there is a bit of the “he’s from Iowa”-factor.</p>