<p>I think cptofthehouse has some very good points about geographic diversity. My state is large enough to have lots of applicants to all the top colleges, but far enough away from both coasts to be of interest to the top colleges on either coast. The HUGE advantage goes to students from the mountain west, where population density is low and most students don’t reach a high level on nationally standardized tests. Any student who stands out in a mountain state can pretty much go wherever he or she wants. </p>
<p>It appears to me, subject to correction by more knowledgeable participants here, that every elite private college looks out for its IMMEDIATE area (e.g., Boston for Harvard, Silicon Valley for Stanford, etc.) and is very competitive for students from its REGION (because so many students apply from the most nearby region). It’s a very good strategy for applicants to be willing to apply to a college far from home. That avoids “fratricide” of competition among students from the same narrow region of the country–and I also think it is better education for the student to go away and learn a new pattern of regional culture and develop independence from mom and dad.</p>