<p>Do they go by geographic region or do they just bunch all together?</p>
<p>probably bunch together and then group according to SAT scores and need for aid or not. just a guess.</p>
<p>First they look at your TOEFL: all students whose scores are below the official threshold are cut. (Once you’ve reached that threshold they don’t really care, especially if it’s from multiple sittings).
Then they look at your educational system: British-patterned, French-Patterned, Chinese, etc. There may be subgroups (ie. India, Singapore… for British-patterned). Then within these groups they look at your curriculum and its rigor, then at your circumstances (as evidenced by your counselor’s recommendation, school profile, and essays). Then they make the first cuts within each group.
If they’re need-aware, there may be a “full pay” pile, either for all files or only for bottom 50% files.
For big, not as selective public universities that need your money, they look at your predicted national exam scores, SAT scores, TOEFL score, and GPA, and that pretty much decides it.</p>