A Geographic Advantage

Some schools value geographic diversity so highly that it can provide students with a powerful hook when applying. In some cases, a student won’t have to be as accomplished to gain admission and/or receive an attractive financial aid package or merit award. If an admission committee at an Ohio college, for instance, is deciding who gets a scholarship between two equally talented candidates, who do you think it would be more inclined to award it to—yet another kid who lives in the Cleveland suburbs or someone who resides in Fort Worth or Kansas City?

A weak candidate isn’t going to suddenly become marketable because he’s willing to hop on a plane to attend college, but a good prospect can become a stronger one by using the geographic hook.