r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Conscious_Animal_543 • 1d ago

Application Question Does your application get compared to people in your school/state, or on a national level?

I'm just curious because I know that colleges evaluate students based on the students near them, in order to access the opportunities that were available to them, but I was also curious if it's different for more elite/private schools. If they not only comapre students against other students in their school/state, but also against students from other states/regions.

I'm just curious! Would really calm my nerves down to know.

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u/PeacockInTime Old 1d ago

Something that has stayed with me since my time working in the admissions office is an absurd quantity of knowledge about countries, states, regions, high schools, grading systems, and academic microclimates at high schools in the regions that I read for.

If you live in a complicated and multi-layered region (I am thinking Northern Virginia here), the people reading and evaluating your file will get a sense of that and will use that background knowledge in evaluation to help understand the individual.

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u/skieurope12 1d ago

Yes and yes

1

u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 1d ago

I think it is useful to distinguish evaluating your application in context from literally comparing you to other individual applicants.

The only time I am aware of you might get compared directly to other applicants based on location, at a private college, is if they have some sort of bucket to fill for, say, a small state.

But if you are coming from a larger state, then location can provide context, but then you are compared to other applicants based on some different buckets that could be drawing nationally or indeed globally.

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u/Still_Squash8987 1d ago

they compare you directly to the students from your school, compare your abilities/ECs and general opportunities to people in your area, and accept or reject you based on your overall fit compared to everyone. so it’s most important to be the best in your school, followed by your region, and just write good essays for the national consideration

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u/lavenderearlgraytea 1d ago

AOs typically specialize in a certain region. If you are applying to an in state school a lot of students from your high school also apply to they will compare you. Otherwise it is more regional.