<p>I worded the title funny, because I didn't want it to be that long. So here is the real question:</p>
<p>If I were to apply to a college that I know that nobody in my school would apply to, would I have a better chance at being accepted since I am appearing in an area that there are few to none applicants. </p>
<p>A few schools I am talking about are UC-David, Union College in New York, NYU, and UC-Berkley. </p>
<p>A majority of my classmates apply to schools such as Univ. of Illinois (I am located in Illinois), UW-Madison, Iowa, Indiana....basically the big 10 schools. And occasionally, the few geniuses who arise and apply to MIT, Yale, WSTLU, and other Ivy's. </p>
<p>I know that during my graduation year, I am in the top 10% of my class, and out of those kids, most of their top choices are once again, in the big 10, but more towards Univ Illinois and UMich. </p>
<p>I'm excited that I would be diverse in the colleges eyes for choosing a school that most people from that area wouldn't even look at. </p>
<p>But, would that help my chances of being accepted, since colleges tend to like making the campus diverse and getting people from every state?</p>
<p>NYU and UCB won't care. They get tremendous variety in applicants so distance is a non-factor. UCD and Union may pay closer attention to you because of your home -- they would wonder why'd you be so interested in them and my really go out of their way to court you (assuming you meet qualifications) -- and making your file stand out more.</p>
<p>Though schools are interested in geographic diversity, it only really helps if you are from an underrepresented state. Illinois is not underrepresented.
Public schools have low acceptance rates for OOS applicants. So it is a negative to be OOS at UMich and the UCs.</p>
<p>^ No. Once you get out of the state and local area you aren't really competing with people from the same school. You are competing with people across the country.</p>
<p>^^ UCD may welcome the OOS interest because the OP would be full pay.</p>
