Deborah Heller

Director of College Counseling
Beacon School

It definitely could! If you are looking at a school far away they may be more likely to accept someone from a town in a state they normally don't get many applicants from. Adversely if a ton of students from your town apply to the school it might be harder to get in. Its not really the TOWN that makes the difference as much as the SCHOOL though. Colleges are comparing you with other students from...

Carita Del Valle

Founder
Academic Decisions

Yes where you live can affect your chances of getting into a particular university. Colleges are looking for geographic diversity each year for their incoming freshman class, and look forward to offering enrollment to students who represent a different part of the country or international location to create an interesting and relevant dynamic in their classrooms.

Lisa Carlton

Owner
www.collegematchpoint.com

Yes! Your hometown could help or hurt you depending on where you are applying. Let's look at few (made up) examples. Example One: You live in San Diego, CA and you want to attend your parent's college- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Sadly, UNC takes very few out of state students. In this case, your hometown is likely going to make getting admitted much more challenging....

Mark Gathercole

University Advisor
Independent University Advising

No, it really doesn't. Colleges want good students from everywhere - a mix of students from all kinds of places.

Nancy Milne

Owner
Milne Collegiate Consulting

Your hometown could impact your chances of getting in, both positively and negatively. If you are from an area that is underrepresented at the college, you may be pursued by the institution because they want the geographic diversity you would supply to their stats. Conversely, if your high school or surrounding high schools tend to see a lot of students applying to the same colleges, your chances...

Zahir Robb

College Counselor
The Right Fit College

While your hometown shouldn't make a difference, your school can. Colleges establish relationships with particular schools and know what it means to graduate from XYZ high school. They may recruit more heavily or less from yor school based on the reputation of the school. If your school has a favorable relationship with a particular college make sure you pay a visit when the admissions officer is in...

Patricia Krahnke

President/Partner
Global College Search Associates, LLC

Short Answer: Seasoned admissions officers who have spent years working at colleges in the same state will know your hometown and/or high school fairly well. However, this can cause them to prejudge your application. Detailed Answer: There is a great deal of prejudice in college admissions – as many different attitudes as there are counselors -- so the fact that an admissions officer knows...

Jessica Brondo

Founder and CEO
The Edge in College Prep

- If you are applying to a state school, this may well be the case. Many of them have quotas for each county, since they use government funding and are required to provide education evenly to the entire state. However, these quotas are carefully calculated so that if you come from a large town the quota is larger. Schools have some play with these quotas so that they don’t have to turn down an...

Janelle Braverman

Educational Consultant
Independent University Advisors, LLC

It may. This question really speaks to how admissions offices do their best to build a class with plenty of geographic diversity representing urban, suburban and rural areas from all corners of the country and for that matter, the world. A small liberal arts college in rural Vermont may get excited to get applications from urban areas in warm climates. Along those same lines, applying to Rice...

Angela Conley

College Admission Expert
VentureForth

Quiet as it is kept, diversity is more than race. If one derives from a small town, or place off the beaten track, it may impact your admission decision. Keep in mind that this includes the assumption that you've evidenced stellar achievement academically and otherwise. In discussions with students, I often cite the "big fish, small pond" example as a way to bring positive attention to your gifts. At...