Do some colleges set number of students picked from each state?
Ex) I might have a better chance than a student from NY or NJ because I am from ND
Some colleges want to be geographically diverse but you still need to be a qualified candidate. I’ve seen brochures where they say we have someone from all states except one. Sure would they like to say they have all 50 states and they might chose you over an equal candidate from an over represented state but I want to stress “equal” candidate. Top schools are not very likely to lower their standards just because of the state you are from.
Even if they want all 50 states coverage, only the top few candidates would benefit from it.
Check a school’s Common Data Set section C7 “Geographical residence” (can mean area of the country) and “State residency” to see if it’s considered.